A.G. Gancarski
The movement to end greyhound racing in Florida assumed critical mass at the Orange Park Best Bet Jax track this afternoon, as a few dozen protesters turned out at a monthly Grey2K sponsored protest to end greyhound racing in Florida. A couple of protesters on hand mention that individual Best Bet staff members alternately remonstrated them for protesting and observed the whole protest.
The reason for the protest, given on the event Facebook page:
Twenty-three greyhounds have died at Orange Park since June 2013. These include dogs who broke their legs and were destroyed and a 2-year-old dog named Hallo Spice Kay, who crashed into a wall and was found with blood coming from her mouth after being sprinted in the dark. We are fighting to end dog racing here and all across Florida.
We spoke with one of the protesters, Chantalle Johnson, who mentioned that a female dog track employee emerged to take a picture of the protesters. The employee then admonished them for protesting, saying “don’t you realize how much the dogs love this?”
According to Johnson, a local musician who performs and records under the moniker “Ether Chambles”, the response to the protest was “95% positive”, with motorists honking their horns in support, including patrons of the facility itself.
The protesters were, according to Johnson, demographically diverse, including both genders and people aged from their 20s to their 60s. They were driven by concern for the animals and a need to educate people on what Florida law currently countenances.
“We’re giving voice to the voiceless,” Johnson said, adding that if protesters approach these events with “love”, “people are more likely to be convinced.”
Another protester at the event (and singer for the local Jacksonville band “Ruffians”), Nicole Pascale, mentioned that, in addition to the woman who Johnson described, that Best Bet had an employee watching the protest the whole time.
“There was a man pretending to supervise us,” Pascale related.
We reached out to Best Bet Jax, who referred us to the Dalton Agency for comment on these allegations; at time of publication, there was no response.
Local legislators, such as State Senator Rob Bradley, expect that “decoupling” dog tracks from gaming rooms will be discussed in the upcoming legislative session.
“Decoupling continues to be considered because dog racing has been becoming less and less popular so we will give decoupling serious consideration,” Bradley said to Clay Today. “There isn’t a specific bill that has been filed right now, but it will definitely be on the table for discussion.”
In the same interview, the Clay County Republican likened the kennel club lobby to a “circular firing squad”, stalling reform efforts. He also discussed the “90 percent rule” that slows dog tracks phasing out greyhound racing.
“Some of these dog tracks have been around for decades but they only added poker tables about 15 years ago. It was because people’s interest in gaming had evolved, so they started offering other forms of gaming to those who were already there for dog racing,” he said last week.
As we reported last month, the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering claims that paid attendance at dog tracks has plummeted 85 percent over the last decade and the amount of money wagered has dropped 67 percent since 1990. However, the tracks must produce a minimum of 800 races a year to operate poker rooms.
