OVERLAND PARK, Kan. -- When is a dog not a dog?
When it's a greyhound in Kansas.
It may sound like a punchline to a joke, but it's true. Two years after the
Parimutuel Racing Act was passed in Kansas, the law protecting pets in the state was changed to exclude greyhounds from the designation of dog.
"A greyhound ought to be a dog in the state of Kansas," said Kevin Neuman, of Overland Park.
Neuman and his wife, Sherri, have fostered and adopted greyhounds for 11 years. They are also active in a greyhound placement organization for retired racers.
"We fell in love with the breed. They're definitely a dog . They're a great dog," Neuman said.
Monday, he went to Topeka to try to change the law.
The
National Greyhound Association, based in Abilene, Kan., disagrees. The executive director called the change unnecessary and said greyhounds aren't bred for pets, and therefore, shouldn't fall under pet protection laws.
Advocates of the change in the law said as dog racing revenues and attendance at races wane, there will be more pressure to breed a winner, and the state should help protect greyhounds.
"More dogs are bred and more dogs are put at risk," Kevin Neuman said.
Breeding organizations dispute that claim, saying kennels are closely regulated by the NGA and the Kansas Greyhound Registry.
People who love the dogs, but not the sport, said it's time to call it like it is and to level the playing field when it comes to the law.
"Protect greyhounds just like collies or German shepherds, or any other breed of dog," Neuman said.
Both sides of the debate appeared before the House Agriculture Committee late Monday afternoon.
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