This track is closing and there is now a need to move 400 dogs. It looks like we are bracing for some tough work ahead for the adoption groups. The track may not reopen til Dec 26.
I hope these dogs find there way to adoption and not PTS. What will happen to the dogs from other tracks waiting for adoption, will they now be put on hold cause of this situation. It's a chess game now. The industry still needs to work on situations like this, they have no plan set it seems.
Full Version: Melbourne Greyhound Track Closing
There is always a surplus of dogs somewhere who don't make it. Too many dogs is the problem.
Jenna
Jenna
The track owners should be held accountable for all expenses in caring for these pups until the ones destined for adoption find a group. Melbourne was supposed to run until July, instead they came in after the races sat. and just declared they were closing that night until dec. They're making money off their poker room, it's the least they could do for such a slap at the greyhounds since they're required to run live racing for a certain number of performances to keep their poker.
It only gets worse for you on the east coast. I heard over 100 dogs from Kansas are on there way east.
Time to do meet and greets.
Time to do meet and greets.
Here is an article I found today from Florida Today.
Greyhound park ends summertime races
Up to 400 greyhounds will need new homes, group president says
BY LINDA JUMP
FLORIDA TODAY
MELBOURNE - Melbourne Greyhound Park has pulled the plug on summertime greyhound racing, leaving the future of 500 dogs in question and giving area gamblers one less outlet for their wagers.
Because of changes in state legislation, the track will return to the winter-only schedule it had before opening its poker room, Club 52, in December 2005. Until the changes went into effect Sunday -- when the last race was held -- if the track wanted to open its card room, it also had to run live racing on the same day. Now, that's changed.
When the track opened in March 1991, live racing paid the bills. But that changed when Club 52 debuted, track President Patrick Biddix said.
State Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering figures show that last year, the track took in $3.8 million in card room receipts and $918,213 in dog racing receipts. But from January through May, $461,445 came from greyhound racing and $3.7 million from the club.
And summer dog racing, Biddix said, drew particularly weak crowds.
"It was hot and slow business," he said, noting on some days there were only about 30 people in the stands.
The dogs that make their home in one of the track's six kennels are privately owned. Biddix said some will be moved to other tracks -- there are 15 greyhound tracks statewide, nine of which are open year-round -- and a few will return to their owners. But about 175 will remain, Biddix said.
"They will be spayed or neutered, fattened up and kept well until they're adopted out," he said.
Dennis Tyler, president of Melbourne-based Greyhound Pets of America, expects the number of dogs needing adoption to be closer to 300 or 400.
"It's a burden, but we can do it," he said.
But, Tyler said, his organization has never had to find homes for so many dogs on such short notice. His group, which works with 40 nationwide animal rescue sites and with year-round racing tracks, found homes for 450 Melbourne greyhounds last year. Since 1996, the group has relocated 5,000 dogs.
Nationally, there are about 20,000 racing greyhounds that need to be retired and adopted annually, said Susan Netboy, president of the Greyhound Protection League in Penn Valley, Calif. Another 25,000 greyhounds are bred annually to race, ensuring an almost constant supply.
In addition to helping find homes for the dogs, the Melbourne track also is working to keep half of the 12 dog trainers it employed, Biddix said. Altogether, the track employs 246 full- and part-time workers.
Under the same law change that allowed the track to end it summetime racing, bettors can also increase their maximum wager from $2 to $5 on table games and play no-limit games. Operating hours also can be expanded, although Biddix said the Melbourne track's hours will remain unchanged.
State officials say that should pump another $1.7 million into state coffers, and an additional $209,060 will be shared with local governments. Brevard County received $233,250 last fiscal year.
When dog racing starts its four-month run Dec. 26, the greyhounds will resume their schedule of 10 to 12 races daily.
Biddix said the schedule change will not affect gambling on harness racing, horse racing or jai-alai from other sites.
Contact Jump at 409-1423 or ljump@floridatoday.com.
Greyhound park ends summertime races
Up to 400 greyhounds will need new homes, group president says
BY LINDA JUMP
FLORIDA TODAY
MELBOURNE - Melbourne Greyhound Park has pulled the plug on summertime greyhound racing, leaving the future of 500 dogs in question and giving area gamblers one less outlet for their wagers.
Because of changes in state legislation, the track will return to the winter-only schedule it had before opening its poker room, Club 52, in December 2005. Until the changes went into effect Sunday -- when the last race was held -- if the track wanted to open its card room, it also had to run live racing on the same day. Now, that's changed.
When the track opened in March 1991, live racing paid the bills. But that changed when Club 52 debuted, track President Patrick Biddix said.
State Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering figures show that last year, the track took in $3.8 million in card room receipts and $918,213 in dog racing receipts. But from January through May, $461,445 came from greyhound racing and $3.7 million from the club.
And summer dog racing, Biddix said, drew particularly weak crowds.
"It was hot and slow business," he said, noting on some days there were only about 30 people in the stands.
The dogs that make their home in one of the track's six kennels are privately owned. Biddix said some will be moved to other tracks -- there are 15 greyhound tracks statewide, nine of which are open year-round -- and a few will return to their owners. But about 175 will remain, Biddix said.
"They will be spayed or neutered, fattened up and kept well until they're adopted out," he said.
Dennis Tyler, president of Melbourne-based Greyhound Pets of America, expects the number of dogs needing adoption to be closer to 300 or 400.
"It's a burden, but we can do it," he said.
But, Tyler said, his organization has never had to find homes for so many dogs on such short notice. His group, which works with 40 nationwide animal rescue sites and with year-round racing tracks, found homes for 450 Melbourne greyhounds last year. Since 1996, the group has relocated 5,000 dogs.
Nationally, there are about 20,000 racing greyhounds that need to be retired and adopted annually, said Susan Netboy, president of the Greyhound Protection League in Penn Valley, Calif. Another 25,000 greyhounds are bred annually to race, ensuring an almost constant supply.
In addition to helping find homes for the dogs, the Melbourne track also is working to keep half of the 12 dog trainers it employed, Biddix said. Altogether, the track employs 246 full- and part-time workers.
Under the same law change that allowed the track to end it summetime racing, bettors can also increase their maximum wager from $2 to $5 on table games and play no-limit games. Operating hours also can be expanded, although Biddix said the Melbourne track's hours will remain unchanged.
State officials say that should pump another $1.7 million into state coffers, and an additional $209,060 will be shared with local governments. Brevard County received $233,250 last fiscal year.
When dog racing starts its four-month run Dec. 26, the greyhounds will resume their schedule of 10 to 12 races daily.
Biddix said the schedule change will not affect gambling on harness racing, horse racing or jai-alai from other sites.
Contact Jump at 409-1423 or ljump@floridatoday.com.
Not sure why this is "short notice" -- yes, there are a lot of dogs all of a sudden, but is there a deadline to get the dogs out of there or something?
Eh, I'm in one of my moods, so here goes:
Shalea wrote:
Shalea wrote:
| QUOTE |
| Not sure why this is "short notice" -- yes, there are a lot of dogs all of a sudden, but is there a deadline to get the dogs out of there or something? |
No, the dogs WILL be held until they are all adopted.
Terilynb wrote:
QUOTE
It only gets worse for you on the east coast. I heard over 100 dogs from Kansas are on there way east.
Time to do meet and greets.
Why is an additional 100 dogs a big deal for the east coast? There are over 140 MILLION people living within close proximity to a major metropolitan area east of the Mississippi, and almost 300 adoption groups. It seems to me that this wouldn't be too big of a problem. We have a local all breed dog rescue (and you know I don't use that word lightly) in Gastonia, that adopts out over 50 dogs a week. Just a bit of perspective...
Jenna wrote:
Surprisingly enough (and this is coming from a reliable source), there is somewhat of a shortage of dogs at quite a few tracks across the country. Additionally, prices were up something like 40% at spring Nationals this year, which of course indicates a shortage on a supply and demand scale.
The best thing to come out of this situation, and of course the dogmen have to act fast, is the bargaining power they hold RIGHT NOW in regards to Melbourne. Management at the track doesn't give 2 cents about dog racing-but they NEED it to operate their card room (for the next year and a half, anyway, then it goes to vote again). With some shrewd dealin', they should be able to work a deal with management for some advertising, upgrades to the compound, etc, as part of the contract next year. Hopefully (though I doubt it) the kennels will pull together for some bargaining power and force the owners to play ball. If not, then tracks like Melbourne SHOULD close...
Time to do meet and greets.
Why is an additional 100 dogs a big deal for the east coast? There are over 140 MILLION people living within close proximity to a major metropolitan area east of the Mississippi, and almost 300 adoption groups. It seems to me that this wouldn't be too big of a problem. We have a local all breed dog rescue (and you know I don't use that word lightly) in Gastonia, that adopts out over 50 dogs a week. Just a bit of perspective...
Jenna wrote:
| QUOTE |
| There is always a surplus of dogs somewhere who don't make it. Too many dogs is the problem. |
Surprisingly enough (and this is coming from a reliable source), there is somewhat of a shortage of dogs at quite a few tracks across the country. Additionally, prices were up something like 40% at spring Nationals this year, which of course indicates a shortage on a supply and demand scale.
The best thing to come out of this situation, and of course the dogmen have to act fast, is the bargaining power they hold RIGHT NOW in regards to Melbourne. Management at the track doesn't give 2 cents about dog racing-but they NEED it to operate their card room (for the next year and a half, anyway, then it goes to vote again). With some shrewd dealin', they should be able to work a deal with management for some advertising, upgrades to the compound, etc, as part of the contract next year. Hopefully (though I doubt it) the kennels will pull together for some bargaining power and force the owners to play ball. If not, then tracks like Melbourne SHOULD close...
| QUOTE |
| Why is an additional 100 dogs a big deal for the east coast? There are over 140 MILLION people living within close proximity to a major metropolitan area east of the Mississippi, and almost 300 adoption groups. It seems to me that this wouldn't be too big of a problem. We have a local all breed dog rescue (and you know I don't use that word lightly) in Gastonia, that adopts out over 50 dogs a week. Just a bit of perspective... |
Because adoption groups are already working to full capacity and there are dogs piling up on waiting lists right behind the ones they currently have. You can't squeeze blood from a turnip.
140 million people are not all going to want or be qualified to adopt greyhounds.
Here's some recent news:
| QUOTE |
Earlier this week, News 13 reported that the Melbourne Greyhound Park was cancelling its summer racing season. Now, the Florida Greyhound Association that regulates the industry is crying foul. The association said that the Melbourne track is licensed to run 364 live races from July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008. The Greyhound Association said the track can only make minor changes, and that cancelling several months worth of races is unfair to kennel operators who will have to get rid of hundreds of dogs. It will now be up to the state to resolve the issue. The decision to cancel the summer season stems from a change in the state law regarding poker. Previously, the law said dog tracks could only hold poker games if live racing was going on. Now poker games can be held even if a Greyhound race is not taking place. |
Jenna
| QUOTE (cheryl2 @ Jul 1 2007, 08:44 PM) |
| The track owners should be held accountable for all expenses in caring for |
Anything except the dog owners, right?
I'd bet half the dog owners don't even realize their dog is at Melbourne because so many trainers don't even bother to aks before shipping dogs down the line.
| QUOTE (prefontaine @ Jul 6 2007, 06:28 PM) |
| Surprisingly enough (and this is coming from a reliable source), there is somewhat of a shortage of dogs at quite a few tracks across the country. Additionally, prices were up something like 40% at spring Nationals this year, which of course indicates a shortage on a supply and demand scale. |
Please name a track other than Tucson with a shortage of dogs right now.
You repackage MR's posts without even checking if they're true. :LOL
QUOTE (FFR @ Jul 6 2007, 08:05 PM)
| QUOTE (cheryl2 @ Jul 1 2007, 08:44 PM) |
| The track owners should be held accountable for all expenses in caring for |
Anything except the dog owners, right?
I'd bet half the dog owners don't even realize their dog is at Melbourne because so many trainers don't even bother to aks before shipping dogs down the line.
Under normal circumstances, yes the dog owner should be responsible for paying the upkeep on his hounds until they go into adoption. With the sudden and completely unexpected closure, no warning at all, then yes the track should be responsible for upkeep. God knows they make more money off the dogs than the owners do.
QUOTE (cheryl2 @ Jul 6 2007, 09:23 PM)
| QUOTE (FFR @ Jul 6 2007, 08:05 PM) | ||
Anything except the dog owners, right? I'd bet half the dog owners don't even realize their dog is at Melbourne because so many trainers don't even bother to aks before shipping dogs down the line. |
Under normal circumstances, yes the dog owner should be responsible for paying the upkeep on his hounds until they go into adoption. With the sudden and completely unexpected closure, no warning at all, then yes the track should be responsible for upkeep. God knows they make more money off the dogs than the owners do.
cheryl2, I agree with you.
I heard that these dogs are not in any danger. A few of them are heading to the NW.
Yep that is what I heard too.
| QUOTE (allforgreys @ Jul 15 2007, 10:38 PM) |
| I heard that these dogs are not in any danger. A few of them are heading to the NW. |
The Melbourne dogs will be going to groups along the eastern seaboard, they will not move them to the Northwest United States (Oregon, Washington and the like). The adoptable dogs from Arizona tracks and the Caliente Track in Mexico, Colorado tracks, as well as dogs on the farms in Oklahoma and Kansas are hauled to the Northwest U.S.
Any updates?