Greyhound Racing in West Virginia

There are two greyhound tracks in West Virginia, Wheeling Island in Wheeling and Tri-State Greyhound Park in Cross Lanes. Races are conducted year-round at both facilities, with a total of 485 race meets held in 2016.¹ As of 2013, there were between 1,400 and 1,800 greyhounds kept confined at the tracks' kennel compounds.²

Caged greyhounds at Wheeling Island in West Virginia. (Greyhound Relocation & Adoption Canada Forum)

DKC Romancandle fell during this Tri State race and was later destroyed. (Tri-State)

Greyhounds at the Tri-State kennel in West Virginia. (Maupin Greyhound Racing Kennel)

A caged greyhound at the-Tri-State dog track in West Virginia. (Maupin Greyhound Racing Kennel)

Racing greyhounds at Wheeling spend 22-hours or more each day in these cages. (KeepWVgreyhounds)

Braska Train was destroyed after the injuries he suffered during this race. (Wheeling Island)

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The dogs racing at the state's two dog tracks are bred both in and out of state. According to the President of the West Virginia Greyhound Owners and Breeders Association, close to 1,000 greyhounds are whelped in West Virginia annually.³ The breeders of West Virginia-bred greyhounds receive subsidies that come from the state's gambling profits. Since 2002, breeders have received over $77 million through the Greyhound Breeding Development Fund.⁴ In March 2014, lawmakers voted to permanently reduce such subsidies by ten percent.⁵

The West Virginia Racing Commission regulates greyhound racing in the state and enforces the Rules of Racing.

In 2016, the total amount wagered on live greyhound racing in the state was $14,100,164, a decline of 56.9 percent from ten years before.⁶

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