How We Finally Won the Ballot Question on Greyhound Racing

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Back in 1995, as I held a sign in protest outside Wonderland Greyhound Park in Revere, Mass., I was confident that the cruel "sport" of dog racing would end quickly.

After all, this progressive New England state has long been a leader in animal welfare. Not only was it clear that the racing dogs were treated inhumanely, but the competition from casinos and other gambling venues had lured away so many of the tracks' patrons that their revenues were in free fall.

But I was wrong. It took a full 13 years before a gradual phase- out of greyhound racing became law in the Bay State. Finally, last month, a majority of voters said "Yes" to compassion and "No" to cruelty. …