SARASOTA, Fla. -- Live greyhound racing at the Sarasota Kennel Club ends this weekend.
Managers said they’ve been racing dogs at the track for 75 years. Florida voters passed an amendment in 2018 to phase out live racing by the end of 2020.
RELATED:
- Passing of amendment 13 leaves dog racing industry concerned about the future
- Florida votes to ban greyhound racing by 2021, signaling possible end of the sport in US
“It’s a sad deal but I guess it’s the will of the people and not much we can do when people vote on an amendment and it puts us out of business,” said racing director Thomas Bowersox.
Bowersox said they’ll work with adoption groups to place hundreds of dogs in homes. Some dogs will be moved to other states where racing is still legal. Bowersox said they are stopping operations before the 2020 deadline.
“Since the amendment passed availability of greyhounds is just hard and it’s going to be hard to get greyhounds to get come down here,” Bowersox said.
About 100 employees of the club will be laid off after this weekend.
SARASOTA COUNTY NEWS | The latest headlines from Sarasota County
Tampa Bay Humane Society Director Sherry Silk said she feels sorry for the employees, but she said the move is a win for the dogs.
“If the dogs could talk they would say they would be much happier in a home than in a cage at a track,” Silk said.
The Sarasota Kennel Club will still simulcast racing from other locations.
