HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1850 FILED ON: 1/14/2009
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 640
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The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the Year Two Thousand Nine
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An Act relative to the greyhound adoption trust fund..
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
The Greyhound Adoption Trust Fund and the Council will be established under the Treasurer of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Any Trust funds not obligated under the current program administered by the Department of Agricultural Resources will be transferred to the Greyhound Adoption Trust Fund established herein. The Council is authorized to spend up to $30,000 per year from the Trust to cover the cost associated with staff and administration of the program. The Council will meet in full session at least once each quarter to review the programs funded by the Trust and to consider any new requests for Adoption Group registration.
• The Council will consist of designated representatives of the following groups/organizations. Council members will serve without compensation.
* Ex-officio, the Treasurer or his designee
* A representative of each of the Greyhound racetracks
* A representative of the Greyhound kennel operators at each of the Greyhound racetracks
* A representative of the Massachusetts Veterinary Medical Association provided that such designated representative shall have no financial or service arrangement with any Greyhound adoption group eligible to benefit from the Trust.
* A representative of the Racing Commission
* A representative of the AFL-CIO
* A representative from an independent Greyhound adoption or welfare organization who will represent the Greyhound Adoption groups.
Funds in the Greyhound Adoption Trust Fund not obligated by the end of any calendar (funding) year will be rolled over into the next year until the expiration of this legislation. Funds not obligated by expiration of this legislation will be disbursed on a prorate basis to the Massachusetts Adoption Group registered with the Council based on the total number of Greyhounds retired from Massachusetts Greyhound racetracks that the group has placed in the last full year of the program.
Every Greyhound completing its racing career at a track in Massachusetts will be issued a voucher by the Racing Secretary at the time the dog is designated to be retired. The voucher will specify the registered racing name and ear tattoos of the designated Greyhound. The voucher will be redeemable by a licensed veterinarian through the Trust for veterinary services not to exceed $220 for spay/neuter, teeth cleaning, heartworm testing and inoculations.
Any greyhound injured during racing or schooling at a Massachusetts track, and that injury determined by the kennel owner/trainer and the racing department to be the end of the dogs career as a racer, will be issued an additional voucher for the repair of such injury. The voucher will specify the registered racing name and ear tattoos of the designated Greyhound. The voucher will be redeemable by a licensed veterinarian through the Trust for veterinary services not to exceed $1500.
Vouchers will be redeemable upon submission of invoice and voucher from the veterinarian.
Any Greyhound issued a voucher for veterinary services under this program will not be eligible to race at any track.
If veterinary services covered by vouchers are performed for any Greyhound before it has been placed with a qualified adoption group, the kennel owners/trainers will hold the Greyhound until they find an adoption group that is qualified to place the dog as a pet.
In addition, Massachusetts Greyhound Adoption programs registered with the Council under the requirements specified below will be paid an amount of $300 for each Greyhound that has been whelped in Massachusetts or retired from a Massachusetts Greyhound racetrack and $100 for each Greyhound who has schooled or raced at a Massachusetts Greyhound racetrack and subsequently retired from a track in another jurisdiction upon accepting the Greyhound into their program and submitting the documentation described below.
Greyhound Adoption programs outside of Massachusetts registered with the Council under the requirements specified below will be paid $100 for each Greyhound whelped in Massachusetts or retired from Massachusetts Greyhound tracks dog accepted into their program upon submitting the documentation described below.
Total available funds to be disbursed to the groups will be determined quarterly based on the income received by the Trust from the tracks under the provisions of the enabling legislation.
Payout of funds to adoption groups will be made quarterly on a first come, first served basis with priority given to Greyhounds that retired from Massachusetts tracks until the funds for that quarter are exhausted. Requests for payment that exceed the available funds in any quarter will not be carried forward. They will be returned to the submitting adoption group and be eligible for resubmission for the next quarterly payment cycle.
Requirements for registration as an eligible Greyhound Adoption group:
Non-profit organization as defined in the U.S. Internal Revenue Code, the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts or equivalent Canadian laws.
Documented experience with Greyhound adoption.
A group in existence for two or more years, or a new group where the founders have four or more years experience with a previously established group.
The practices of the adoption group must include spay/neuter of all adopted Greyhounds prior to placement.
The group must have written contract requiring an adopted Greyhound that cannot be kept be returned to the group originally placing it.
The group must have written policies for screening of applicants and procedures for follow-up after placement.
May not be involved in the sale, barter or exchange of Greyhounds.
May not have been involved in the sale, exchange, or donation of any Greyhound for the purpose of laboratory testing or research.
The council shall authorize no expenditure pursuant to a contract with a person, corporation, partnership, trust or any combination of the same or other entity which owns, operates or holds any interest in any race track or other facility which operates pari-mutuel racing of greyhounds, or is licensed to operate such a facility pursuant to section 3 of chapter 128A. The council shall authorize no expenditure to any entity that either promotes or opposes dog racing or has either promoted or opposed dog racing in the past.
Greyhound Adoption programs that have previously applied for and received funding from the Council would be automatically registered as an eligible adoption group and would not have to reregister.
Documentation required for payment:
Identifying information on the individual dog (Name, tattoo numbers)
Spay/neuter certificate signed by a veterinarian registered in the jurisdiction in which the procedure was performed. The spay/neuter certificate to include identification of the Greyhound by tattoo numbers.
Written certification from either the Greyhound’s registered owner, a Massachusetts racing kennel, a Massachusetts Greyhound racetrack or the National Greyhound Association that the identified Greyhound was bred, whelped, schooled or raced in Massachusetts.
No additional documentation is required to qualify for payment.
The Council may grant any additional remaining funds to adoption groups who adopt over 50 percent of their dogs directly from Massachusetts tracks or any other organization for any other programs to promote Greyhound adoption and increase the adoption of more Greyhounds as pets.