The first two months of reports submitted by greyhound owners to Seminole County show a dozen dogs were injured in May and June, one so badly it had to be euthanized. The reports are the first to be submitted under Seminole County’s new Greyhound Protection Ordinance.

  • Newly-public reports show injuries at Longwood greyhound track
  • 2 greyhound owners suing to stop Seminole County ordinance

Two greyhound owners are now suing Seminole County over the county law that requires them to report any injuries those dogs get during racing at the county’s only greyhound racing track at the Sanford Orlando Kennel Club in Longwood.

People like Mary Stewart succeeded in their effort to convince county commissioners to pass the new law in August 2016.

“The best thing I ever did was adopt my first greyhound. It changed my life,” said Mary Stewart.

Stewart now owns and fosters several greyhounds at her Longwood home, which is not far from where the dogs used to race at Sanford Orlando Kennel Club.

“A lot of people think they need a lot of room to run,” said Stewart. “These dogs have access to the backyard, they are not out there running. They want to be inside in the air conditioning.”

We obtained the first two months of injury reports which show reports for each greyhound to leave the track, most to become pets or retire. One of the injury reports states that on May 17, a greyhound suffered a “large deep laceration” that “completely severed” a muscle. The report also states the dog was “euthanized for humane reasons.”

Two greyhound owners, Scott Bennett and Jimmy Goodman, are suing Seminole County to stop the required reports. 

“It is very clear in state law that the regulation of racing greyhounds must be handled by Florida's Division of Pari-mutual Racing,” said Jeff Kottkamp, the attorney for the greyhound owners.

“This was done to ensure that regulations are applied statewide in a uniform manner. No one cares more about the welfare of racing greyhounds than their owners. The Florida Greyhound Association continues to advocate for the creation of statewide safety standards at tracks to PREVENT injuries -- not just report them. 

"The ordinance passed in Seminole County is not only preempted by state law -- it actually does nothing to improve the safety of racing greyhounds.”

We disagree strongly with the allegations made by the breeders in the lawsuit and will vigorously defend the county’s greyhound-protection ordinance,” said Thomas Wilkes, the attorney who’s representing Seminole County in the matter.

“If they had nothing to hide, why would they care, I mean, what is the problem with disclosing that a dog had an injury at a track?" said Stewart.

Most of the greyhound racetracks in the Unites States are in Florida, where there are 12. Seminole County is the only county in the state that’s passed a greyhound protection law. 

Stewart says she hopes other counties will pass what Seminole County did. And she hopes increased regulation and required reporting of greyhound racing injuries will someday lead to the end of greyhound racing.

“I would love for other people to experience this kind of joy with these types of dogs,” said Stewart.