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Cover Stories Summer/Fall 2005 Reopening of Plainfield
Greyhound Park Questionable Plainfield, Connecticut: Plainfield Greyhound Park ended simulcast wagering and closed its doors Friday, Aug. 12. When live racing ended May 14, track officials had vowed to keep the doors open for the simulcast operation. Karen Keelan, the track's vice president, said the decision to end simulcasting and shut down the facility completely was financial. "We were unable to sustain the financial losses," Keelan said. The town's First Selectman Donald F. Gladding said track officials told him they were unable to meet the payments for receiving the simulcast signal. "They're stuck where they can't keep going into debt and unfortunately that could affect Gene Arganese and his plans," Gladding said. "It looks like he's going to have to pick up the pieces." Arganese, the developer who plans to build a 140,000-square-foot domed auto racetrack and convention center on a 1,000-acre property that includes the existing dog track, said he was disappointed with the decision. Arganese also confirmed that he had been making "substantial" monthly payments to assist the dog track, but declined to discuss the amount. Keelan has said live racing could return in 2006 on a limited basis, but no firm plans have been announced and no applications for racing dates have been filed with the state. Details of the agreement between Arganese and the track are "still up in the air," Keelan said. Arganese declined comment on the track's Aug. 12 closure. Massive Adoption Effort When Plainfield Greyhound Park officials announced April 27 that live racing would cease May 14, greyhound adoption groups from Maine to North Carolina put a plan in motion to rescue and place with adoption groups as many of the nearly 1,000 greyhounds in the track's kennel compound as possible. According to disposition records kept by the Connecticut Division of Special Revenue, which were obtained and analyzed by Sheila Havens, New Jersey affiliate of the Greyhound Protection League, 419 Plainfield greyhounds were sent to race at other New England tracks or returned to their owners; final disposition of those dogs is unknown. A total of 519 greyhounds were placed with dozens of East Coast adoption groups. Adoption placement numbers by state are as follows: Connecticut 234; New Hampshire 33; New Jersey 46; Pennsylvania 46; New York 44; Virginia 3; Massachusetts 46; Maryland 13; Maine 23; Vermont 12; North Carolina 10; West Virginia 8; and Canada 1. Of the 42 remaining greyhounds listed, 15 were sent to several animal shelters or animal control centers, 21 were sent to two places that could not be identified, and six dogs were sent to individuals involved in dog racing in Connecticut. A total of 980 greyhounds were listed on 27 sheets, each titled "gryDogRemoval."
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