December 14, 2019
A year after Florida’s landmark vote to ban greyhound racing, a dog racing company in Arkansas has decided to put this practice to an end, without any need for legislation.
Southland Racing Corporation in West Memphis, Arkansas, along with the Arkansas Greyhound Kennel Association, came to an agreement this fall to phase out dog racing by 2022 after recent polls showed that Arkansas voters would vote in favor of a greyhound racing ban in their home state. Southland Casino conceded that revenue from greyhound racing has decreased by nearly 50% since 2006, and that it would be best for the dogs—and their purses—to gamble in the casino rather than on the track. The casino owners decided to slowly phase out greyhound racing by December 31st, 2022, in order to give the dogs’ owners and track stakeholders time to transition and to place the dogs in loving homes.
Southland Racing Corporation’s parent company, Delaware North, also owns the only two operating greyhound racing tracks located in West Virginia. Animal advocates are optimistic that Delaware North will make the right decision and end dog racing in West Virginia, too—and the sooner, the better!
Take Action: Take a moment to tell Delaware North how much you appreciate their decision to close their dog tracks, and that you hope they apply the same decision to their dog tracks in West Virginia. Click here to go to their Contact Form.