A committee of the Oregon Legislature on Thursday will consider a bill to ban betting on dog races, which would help diminish this cruel activity where it still takes place.
Dogs used for racing (primarily greyhound racing) endure long periods of intense confinement, physical abuse, doping and injuries on the track. Because of this, 43 states have banned dog racing. Oregon finally did that in 2022. However, Oregon's complex system of state-sanctioned gambling on animal races, through the Oregon Racing Commission, still facilitates betting on dog races all over the world. Oregon-licensed businesses facilitate a large portion of the betting on dog races that still take place.
House Bill 3020 would prohibit betting on dog races through Oregon-licensed facilties, regardless of where the race takes place. Please join us in supporting this bill by submitting written comments to the House Committee on Commerce and Consumer Protection, which will consider the bill in its meeting beginning at 1 p.m. Thursday, January 30. Click here for detailed information about the bill, including the testimony already submitted. Once there, click the arrow next to "Measure History" and click "Submit Testimony" (or just click here) to submit your written comments through an online form. Written testimony will be accepted for 48 hours after the committee meeting starts, but it's best to get your testimony in before the meeting.
Your written testimony does not need to be long or detailed. A few sentences will do. It's enough just say you support HB 3020 because it will help end the cruel activity of dog racing where it still occurs. It's best to use your own words, but feel free to use any of the points in this post or in the online testimony already submitted. This Fact Sheet from Grey2KUSA, an international organization run by a former Oregonian, also has some great information for talking points.
If you have more time to give, please also check the committee roster and see if your representative is on the committee. (Go here and enter your address to see who your representative is and get their email address.) If so, send your representative an email and encourage them to vote for HB 3020 and help to get it passed out of the committee. Be sure to say you are a "constituent" (meaning you live in their district).
Thank you for helping us advocate for animal welfare!