Janie McBride started her Friday by opening an e-mail that said 35 greyhounds would be killed today at The Woodlands.
"I don’t know where these people are getting this information," said a clearly miffed McBride, who runs Pups Without Partners, the greyhound adoption program at the track. "I can tell you, anytime there is a track closing, there is mass hysteria."
The track announced this week that it would cease operations after the last race on Aug. 23. In addition to the 250 humans out of work, hundreds of greyhounds will be jobless — and homeless. Greyhound adoption groups across the country are now on high alert, waiting for the chain reaction — "a real scramble"” one group official said — about to go off.
"If anyone at the racetrack wants you to believe it's simple, it's not," said Marilyn Varnberg with Greyhound Adoptions of Florida. "If something happens at The Woodlands, there is a domino effect that can possibly touch every adoption group in this country."
Woodlands officials are well-aware that they are being closely watched. The track's general manager, Jayme LaRocca, said some of the dogs would be transferred to other tracks, some would be returned to their owners and others would be adopted out.
LaRocca said that after the track closes, The Woodlands will take care of the dogs, which it does not own, at the track's expense.
But for how long?
Read the full story at KansasCity.com.