Dog Racing Now Officially Illegal in Connecticut

Dog racing was officially prohibited in Connecticut as of this week due to a new law, which repealed largely unused statutes that had previously authorized the operation of dog racetracks in the state.

Although it has been nearly two decades since the closure of the last operational dog racetrack in Connecticut, state lawmakers saw fit during the 2024 legislative session to officially ban the sport, which is considered to be a form of animal cruelty.

Legislators in the state Senate approved the change on a nearly unanimous vote in April, with only Sen. Rob Sampson, R-Wolcott, voting to keep dog racing legal.

This week, Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff told reporters that the new law codified current practice.

“If you talk to folks around the state, they say that we shouldn’t have that,” Duff said. “We love our pets, we love our dogs. We don’t want them racing — it’s kind of cruel and inhuman and so we banned it.”

The change brings Connecticut in line with at least 42 other states, according to the Humane Society, which offered testimony in support of banning dog racing when the bill was before the legislature’s General Law Committee.

“Dog racing is associated with significant animal cruelty,” Humane Society Connecticut State Director Annie Hornish said. “Greyhounds suffer extreme confinement and drugging; injuries and premature deaths are common.”

While Connecticut had long ago moved away from the sport, Duff said the policy was worth making official in an effort to protect dogs.

Posted By Hugh McQuaid