Falcon
March 7th
Happy 5th Birthday!
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Two years after then-Senate President Peter Courtney (D-Salem) thought he’d ended betting on greyhound racing in Oregon, the House Committee on Gambling Regulation is still trying to make that goal a reality.
As WW has reported, a tiny state agency, the Oregon Racing Commission, facilitates the vast majority of online wagering on horses and greyhounds in the U.S.—and that includes betting at dozens of tracks overseas. Despite booking $6.6 billion in bets in 2023, however, the companies in the online animal betting business paid Oregon only a few million dollars last year (“Track Addicts,” WW, May 17, 2023).
The bill Courtney passed in 2021 left some unresolved ambiguity—about who could bet where—that lawmakers and the Oregon Department of Justice have since worked to resolve. On Feb. 6, the gambling committee chair, Rep. John Lively (D-Springfield), said he still had a simple goal with House Bill 4051: “We are trying to resolve once and for all greyhound racing in Oregon.”
To provide context, Lively’s committee published the first-ever version of a document Courtney and Rep. David Gomberg (D-Otis) demanded: a racing commission review of animal safety and state revenues from greyhounds.
Here’s what the state report found:
$86,733,691
That’s the amount of money that bettors from all over the country wagered in 2023 on greyhounds through the Oregon Racing Commission, via “advance-deposit wagering,” a form of internet gambling that Oregon pioneered in the 1990s to prop up horse and greyhound tracks in the state. (It failed: The state’s last dog track, Multnomah Greyhound Park, closed 20 years ago, and its biggest horse track, Portland Meadows, folded in 2019.)
$72,548
That’s the total amount of revenue the state of Oregon reaped in 2023 from greyhound betting. That total includes not only ADW betting over the internet, but also a share of the bets made at 10 off-track betting parlors located around the state. Off-track betting operators testified last week they’d suffer terribly if the state bans betting on greyhounds. “The proposed legislation threatens the livelihood of our business,” testified Brian Sarchi, who runs New Portland Meadows, a card room and OTB bar on North Lombard Street. “Dog racing serves as a form of entertainment for our patrons, many of whom are senior citizens. For them, it is not merely about placing bets on races; it is a cherished outlet for social interaction, enjoyment and a sense of community.”
10,542
That’s the number of documented canine injuries in 2023 at greyhound tracks where Oregon facilitated bets. Of that number, only 555 took place in the U.S. That’s because only one state—West Virginia—still hosts greyhound racing. The fact that so many states have banned the sport hasn’t stopped Oregon from doing its best to keep the sport alive globally. Carey Theil, a former Oregonian who now heads Grey2K, a Massachusetts-based group that advocates for the end of dog racing, says listening to advocates for betting on animals imploring lawmakers last week to preserve Oregon’s dominant position in greyhound betting was dispiriting. “It was bizarre to listen to all this testimony about how important Oregon is to the greyhound industry,” Theil says. “Yet it brings in almost no money to the state, while propping up a cruel industry that injured more than 10,000 dogs last year.”
News reporter Nigel Jaquiss joined Willamette Week in 1998. He covers politics.
January 27, 2024 – One lot of Viva Duck for Dogs (Ground), Viva Duck for Dogs (Chunked), Viva Duck for Cats and Viva Pure Duck (for cats and dogs) has been recalled due to potential Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes contamination.
The lot under recall is Lot 22853. The product is distributed as frozen 1lb bricks in clear vacuum packaging. Please see the example of product labels.
Viva started shipping this lot out on 10/24/23 and the last units were distributed on 12/06/23.
The FDA obtained and tested samples of Viva Duck for Dogs (Chunked) Lot 22853 after a consumer complaint and found that the samples were positive for Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes.
Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes can affect animals eating the products and there is a risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.
Please check your freezer for any remaining products of Lot 22853. If you still have products from the lot, Viva is asking customers to complete this response form and they will reach out to you to provide a refund for any remaining product — you can then destroy the food in a way that children, pets, and wildlife cannot access.
Make sure you do not touch the contaminated food product with your bare hands. While wearing gloves or using paper towels, place the contaminated food in a sealed plastic bag and throw it in the garbage. Then you will need to sanitize your kitchen and any other area that may have come in contact with the contaminated product. Do not sell or donate the recalled products. Do not feed the recalled product to pets or any other animals.
Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.
“The health of your pet has always been Viva’s #1 priority and we have always been committed to making safe and transparent pet food. We started this company to change the industry and make the best pet food available. From choosing to manufacture in a USDA facility & sourcing 100% human-grade ingredients, we are committed to going above and beyond.
“We have conducted a detailed root-cause analysis in our USDA facility to ensure we continue to exceed the highest industry food safety standards & will continue to push the boundaries for how safe, fresh pet food is made.
“If you have any questions regarding this notice, feel free to email us at info@vivarawpets.com or call/text us at (919) 371-8882 between 9:00 am – 5:00 pm EST Monday to Friday.”
Simon
May 10, 2016 - January 15, 2024
Loved by Gerry & Maureen Frank of Corvallis along with pretty much the entire City Of Corvallis. Simon was an exquisite GPA-NW Ambassadog.
- Gerry Frank
Rest In Peace, Simon
Simon & Maureen |
Simon @ 15 Months |
Nestlé Purina PetCare Company is voluntarily recalling select lots of Nestlé Purina PetCare Company is voluntarily recalling select...