Southland Casino Racing in Arkansas to close live racing by 2022

Southland Casino Racing and the Arkansas Greyhound Kennel Association have reached an agreement under which races will be reduced from 6,656 in 2019 to 4,992 in 2020, down to 3,994 in 2021, and to 2,662 in 2022, with the final race coming by December 2022.

“The kennel association and Southland agreed that given these factors we needed an agreement that would provide certainty and clarity for the future by ending live racing via an orderly process and on our own terms,” said David Wolf, president, and general manager of Southland Casino Racing.

The phase-out will allow time for the adoption of the 1,200 greyhounds that currently race at Southland, WMC Action News reports. The Mid-South Greyhound Adoption Option will work to bring the retired racing greyhounds into new homes.

"We knew it was coming, and we knew it was only a matter of time. We saw the news release and I didn't realize it was going to be that quick. It's unfortunate in that a lot of breeders and trainers and the dogs themselves are going to be out of work,” said Rick Chetter, Mid-South Greyhound Adoption Option president.

Rick Chetter is president of Mid-South Greyhound Adoption Option. He owns a Greyhound and he says there are already people lining up to adopt the dogs.

In Iowa, Brian Carpenter, Greyhound Park General Manager, said this could trigger the closure of more parks across the country, and possibly even the one in Dubuque. He said the main issue will be finding dogs, ABC News reports.

When the vote passed in Florida to ban greyhound racing, Carpenter figured that would trigger dog breeders to get out of the industry too. With fewer people breeding greyhounds, they're harder to come by.

Carpenter wasn't shocked to learn Southland Casino in Arkansas made this move, but he said it's still sad to see the sport gradually dying.

"This will be my 36th year of greyhound racing, and it will be sad to see when it goes," Carpenter said. "It was something fun and interesting to see. As of now, we are still planning on opening up next year and hopefully for the next three more years at least."