The abrupt ending of Mile High Greyhound Park’s 2008 dog-racing season this weekend could leave up to 200 greyhounds homeless and adoption agencies scrambling to place them.
Fourteen kennel owners, who care for and race the dogs, must vacate Mile High’s property in Commerce City, trying their luck at race tracks in other states or shutting down and returning the greyhounds to original owners. Dogs not spoken for will be put up for adoption.
Mile High, the last dog track in Colorado to have live racing, decided to cut the season short in early June after track officials and kennel owners couldn’t come to a financial agreement that would keep racing alive until September.
Rori Mattson, vice president of Colorado Greyhound Adoption, says about 200 greyhounds will need to find new homes.
But Mark Couch, a spokesman for the state Department of Revenue, which oversees the Division of Racing, says the Colorado Racing Commission puts the number at about 100.
The decision to curtail racing at Mile High has angered some kennel owners because the track also opted out of a 2008-09 winter season.
“I’m not doing this anymore,” said Gary Bryan, president of the Colorado Greyhound Kennel Association. He has been a kennel owner and racing dogs for 24 years. “It’s time for me.”
Bryan will give about 60 of the dogs he races back to their owners. He already has adopted out four.
Five adoption agencies, including Colorado Greyhound Adoption, will continue to evaluate the dogs and actively pursue foster and permanent homes for the greyhounds, Mattson said.
“I think we can do it,” she said. “When the Pueblo tracks closed (for live racing), all the groups were able to move 180 dogs.”
People have in their minds that greyhounds are really hyper, Mattson said.
“But that is the furthest thing from the truth,” she said, “They are very docile, good-natured, low-energy dogs.”
Bryan said he has not been told when he must leave Mile High.
Bruce Seymore, general manager of Mile High, said he won’t rush kennel owners off the property.
“We want to work in tandem with the kennel owners to successfully get the dogs placed,” Seymore said.
Bryan is skeptical about whether kennel owners will return in April 2009, when Seymore says racing will resume.
“I would say there is a lot of friction between the kennel owners and this company,” Bryan said.
Steve Graff: 303-954-1661 or sgraff@denverpost.com
