Greyhound racing has been in something of a free fall for a generation, and so much of that retrenchment has been coincident with the work of Grey2K USA. The group, formed in 2001 by Carey Theil and Christine Dorchak, has been single-minded and strategic in working to end greyhound racing in America. Animal Wellness Action has been proud to partner with the organization on the landmark 2018 Florida ballot measure to phase out racing by the end of 2020 and also to join in with other campaigns to eliminate the practice in the remaining states where it occurs.
On today’s show, we talk with Carey Theil, the president of the organization, who with his co-leader Christine Dorchak, has helped shutter track after track.
AWA and Grey2K USA most recently celebrated the end of racing in Alabama, with the announcement last week by the sole surviving track that it would shutter live racing. This win comes not long after both organizations had a major hand in pushing forward an agreement to phase out greyhound racing in Arkansas last fall.
Once the phase-outs take full effect in Arkansas and Florida, greyhound racing will remain in just three states — Iowa, Texas, and West Virginia.
As this industry continues to wither, animal welfare concerns will become even more pressing because of threadbare operations that will be forced to cut corners in animal care to survive. The industry has proven that it is incapable of changing. Instead of cleaning up its act, it has fought reform efforts. Dogs play an important role in our lives, and they deserve to be protected from unpopular spectacles that put them at risk.
The Animal Wellness Podcast is a regular segment that not only delivers timely information but offers insights and analysis you won’t hear anywhere else. We’ll offer in-depth discussions of local, state, or federal policy and elections, and the effects of laws and regulations on corporations. We hope you’ll listen today, and also check out earlier episodes:
- Episode 12: Saving Lives — Human and Animal — With Better FDA Testing
- Episode 11: Caged Hunts and the Spread of Chronic Wasting Disease
- Episode 10: Pets and the Coronavirus
- Episode 9: The Ongoing Horrors of Trapping
- Episode 8: Updates on the Corona Virus and The Bear Protection Act
- Episode 7: Fixing the Lethal Abuses in Horseracing
- Episode 6: The Role of the USDA Checkoff Problems in Harming Animals and Family Farming in the U.S.
- Episode 5: Fighting a Diabolical Plan to Round Up Tens of Thousands of Wild Horses
- Episode 4: Big Cats: Endangered in the Wild and in Danger as Captives in the U.S.
- Episode 3: Michael Vick and the Continuing Battle Over Animal Fighting
- Episode 2: Shark finning, horseracing, and the PACT Act
- Episode 1: 2019 Victories for Animals