It’s been a hot-button issue, even here on Life with Dogs, since passing, but this week Florida voters dealt a surprisingly decisive blow to greyhound racing, approving a measure that’ll ban the sport in their state by the end of 2020.

Amendment 13, which needed 60-percent approval to become law, got more than 5.3 million votes on Tuesday, roughly 69 percent.

What does it mean? Dog racing at 11 Florida tracks, with anywhere between 5,000 to 7,000 greyhounds, will be out of business by Dec. 31, 2020.

Officials on both sides of the ballot measure on Wednesday promised they’ll find these unemployed greyhounds new homes throughout and after the stage-down.

Jim Gartland, executive director of the dog racing industry’s umbrella group National Greyhound Association, said 98 percent of retired racers are regularly adopted to families. And an overwhelming majority of the remaining 2 percent live out their days on farms, working as breeders, he added.

“We will do everything we can do to make sure that every one of them gets adopted,” Gartland told NBC News on Wednesday.

Humane Society Florida Director Kate MacFall, who was a vehement proponent of Amendment 13 during the campaign, said her phone has been ringing off the hook on Wednesday with calls from prospective greyhound owners.

“They’re amazing pets, so gentle and sweet,” MacFall said. “They really are gentle giants.”

But Brooke Stumpf, president of the adoption group GreytHounds of Eastern Michigan, said she worries about untold thousands of greyhounds now at breeding farms throughout the South and Midwest.

With a majority of the nation’s dog tracks slated to close by the end of 2020, young greyhounds that never make it to the track will need homes too.

“This will be a burden. We’re mobilizing now,” said Stumpf, whose group arranges 50 to 100 greyhound adoptions a year — but will now aim for an annual goal of 200. “We’ll do the best we can. Some of these dogs might end up at shelters and they’re not all no-kill. That’s the scary part.”

The dogs won’t be retired immediately; dog racing will continue in Florida for the next 25+ months. There will be a gradual track shut-down over these two years.

America only has 17 dog tracks left; 11 are in Florida.

It should be noted, however, the Florida’s dog racing business has been in decline for years. In 1992, bets totaled more than a billion dollars. In 2017, just $200,000.

“This is a crushing blow to this industry,” MacFall said. “This (vote) shows people care about dogs and people know this (dog racing) is cruel and inhumane.”

MacFall admitted she and other supporters were surprised by the final margin of victory.

“We thought it’d be close, we didn’t think it’d be that high. It turned out to be a landslide,” MacFall said. “I mean we can’t agree on anything here in Florida. But on this, we had bipartisan support.”

You may notice that Murray doesn’t look like other dogs. He is wonderfully unique. And it was his looks, in part, that made his family fall head over heels in love with him.

Murray’s story now has a happily ever after, but for a good, long while, things didn’t look so rosy.

Murray was born in Puerto Rico, where he contracted distemper and was abandoned on Dead Dog Beach — a beach on the southeastern coast of the island where hundreds of animals are left for dead every year.

Distemper is a horrible virus, that often kills the animals that contract it, destroying the nervous and respiratory systems. But Murray survived. The bout left him toothless (as such, he is unable to keep his tongue in his mouth) and with a disfigured head, neither of which do a thing to detract from his sweet, loving nature and zeal for life.

Murray was eventually found and rescued by The Sato Project, which brought him to the United States to be adopted.

But he very nearly wasn’t.

In fact, a vet had Murray slated to be euthanized due to his condition, but then had a change of heart when Murray began wagging his tail before the lethal injection could take place. Again, Murray beat the odds. And that’s when he met the Gallant family, whose love for him was sharp and instantaneous.

“The signature tongue out is just the cutest thing, and his crooked features, if you look at his face closely you notice his ears aren’t aligned right on his head. His quirks make him even cuter and more special,” Mackenzie Gallant told Barcroft Media.

Murray began life with the Massachusetts family as a foster, but they decided they couldn’t give him up and eventually created an Instagram account that’s been helping raise awareness for rescue dogs and The Sato Project in general.

“We made his Instagram when I left for college for friends and family to follow but over the past year he has gained a lot of followers and helped raise awareness of rescue dogs, The Sato Project and distemper,” Gallant said.

To learn more about The Sato Project, visit their website.

Are you looking for a very small senior with a very big personality? You can’t go wrong with Dolson, a dreamy and sweet little guy who’s had too much shuffling in his life. It’s high time for this handsome devil to find his forever family.

Would you just look at that sweet, happy smile!?

Dolson, a tiny, little Chihuahua mix, is 11 years old. He originally found himself at the Norfolk SPCA in Norfolk, VA, because his owners could o longer afford to care for him, but sadly, he has since been in and out of their care. The last time he returned to the shelter, in fact, he was severely emaciated! But thanks to a grant from the senior dog lovers at the Grey Muzzle Organization, the SPCA was able to get him all the TLC and medical care necessary to bring him back to great health.

Staffers here feel like Dolson is consistently overlooked by adopters because of his age, but they know he still has a lifetime of love to give.

Little big man Dolson, say his caretakers, has a huge heart. He loves to be the center of attention, but if you’re not around, he’s happy to do his own thing (much of which consists of napping in comfy beds!).

He is looking for an adults-only home in which to live out his days and dole out his love. Everyone, they believe, would be happier with a little sidekick like Dolson around to brighten their days!

The Norfolk SPCA is located at 917 Ballantine Blvd. in Norfolk, VA. Adoption hours are 1-6 p.m. every day but Tuesdays (on which they are closed). Want more info? Visit the Norfolk SPCA website!

ALL Norfolk SPCA adoptions include:

• The pet’s spay or neuter surgery
• Vaccinations appropriate to age & heartworm test
• Microchip and registration
• General health exam
• Behavior evaluation
• 1st month’s flea & heartworm preventative
• Free 30-day offer of pet health insurance
• Care-A-Lot adoption kit valued up to $200

What’s more, after adoption, all alumni receive lifetime perks!

• 10% off vaccine clinic services
• 10% off dental cleanings
• 10% off merchandise (including over-the counter veterinary products)

Dog lovers in Texas, the state in which everything’s bigger, should fall in love with this handsome gentle giant! His name is Stevie.

Sweet Stevie was surrendered to animal control officers in Livingston, TX, after he grew to be larger than his family was expecting. After awhile, though, his clock ran out, but just when he was next in line t be euthanized, a kind person intervened and brought him to the folks at the SPCA of Polk County.

Staffers there estimate that Stevie is about 7-and-a-half years old, but no medical expertise is needed to asses that he’s also a sweet, lovable retriever mix who really deserves a second chance to find a loving forever home.

In fact, the SPCA thought they’d found him a perfect love match, but sadly, fate again dealt Stevie a cruel hand. When the family’s situation changed, they returned him to the rescue.

Upon his arrival, SPCA doctors checked Stevie over thoroughly and found four (4) relatively large masses on his body. One of these masses was a large and hard; it sat on his right shoulder. Thanks to help from the Grey Muzzle Organization, necessary funds were secured to have the masses removed immediately.

Three of the masses were determined to be benign at this point but had the potential of becoming cancerous in the future. The large, hard culprit on his right shoulder was indeed cancer, but the veterinary staff believes that the operation was a complete success and all the malignant tissue was removed. That means that Stevie’s prognosis is excellent and whoever adopts him will likely enjoy many wonderful years with an outstandingly sweet companion!

Without the medical funds provided through the Grey Muzzle Organization grant, we may not have been able to secure medical treatment in time to save this sweet dog’s life and prevent him from future suffering. They know that senior lives are worth saving. So does the staff down at the SPCA of Polk – and they’re hoping someone else sees that, too.

Let’s help this big boy find a great new home to enrich with his bigger-than-life love and gentle, sweet spirit.

Sweet Grandma Tala arrived at Frederick County Animal Control as a stray and was never reclaimed.

Though she quickly became a staff and volunteer favorite, it quickly became apparent that confinement does not suit Tala.

Left in her kennel, she would panic, trying desperately to escape. She broke three canine teeth this way. As a short-term solution, staff kept her with them in their offices or at the front desk, greeting visitors. And seriously – watch the below video to hear more about her and see how sweet she really is!

Then Amy, a foster care provider, stepped up to take Tala in. Amy has found ways to keep Tala from hurting herself (or Amy’s home) when left alone in the house.

In her foster home, Tala has proven herself to be wonderful with both children and cats. Tala also has found a new friend in the family’s puppy, who plays with her every morning.

Thanks to the Grey Muzzle Organization, Frederick Friends of Our County Animal Shelter has been able to cover most of Tala’s medical needs. First and forement, she needed her three broken canine teeth extracted. Second, Tala has some of the health concerns that older dogs often develop. Most notably, she’s had a number of tumors removed.

Tala’s foster family loves her very much. In fact, Tala sleeps every night with their older daughter. Though they wish they could adopt her themselves, they have found that Tala is a little too interested in their goats and chickens. But this active senior girl is happy and loved while she waits for her forever family to come along and fall in love with her.

The term “sassy sisters” doesn’t even begin to describe Serena and Venus; they may just be your perfect doubles match!

Forgive the tennis puns, but these adorable Chi-Doxie mix girls have loads of spunk and personality, and at the age of 7, they’ve still got lots of “LOVE” to give – and plenty of energy to run around the court. Or hold it, as two such queens just might.

Love bugs who are adept at cuddling, the simple act of handing off a treat will win you ace-level loads of affection. In fact, Venus and Serena prefer the company of people to that of other dogs, so they would be best as only pets – but really, they might wonder, why would you need anyone else?!

Any family lucky enough to have these two ladies would be Grand Slam winners, for sure.

What next?

Well, the ball is in your court. Visit the Little Shelter website for more information. They are located in Huntington, Long Island, NY, and are a returning recipient of the Grey Muzzle Organization.

More about Little Shelter Animal Rescue in their own words….

Little Shelter Animal Rescue and Adoption Center is a non-profit, no-kill animal shelter nestled on six wooded acres in Huntington, Long Island. Little Shelter has been dedicated to saving abandoned dogs and cats and placing them into loving homes since 1927. Age, physical condition, and socialization issues are never criteria for rescuing a dog or cat whose life is in jeopardy. Through rescue from kill facilities, rehabilitation of sick and unsocialized pets, and a 100% spay/neuter program, Little Shelter hopes to end pet overpopulation and place all dogs and cats into loving homes. All Little Shelter animals receive the highest quality medical care and are spayed or neutered prior to adoption. Every potential adopter is interviewed and thoroughly screened to ensure the best quality homes. Included on the grounds is Sheltervale Pet Cemetery, which has been the final resting place for companion animals for more than 90 years. Little Shelter Animal Rescue has won Best of Long Island 9 straight years (2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 & 2018) for Best Animal Shelter and Best Animal Rescue!

Prince, say volunteers and staffers at the Mohawk Hudson Humane Society in New York say that Prince, who has been with them for 5 five months, is doing wonderful with his obedience training. But come night time, he has THEM trained!

You see, since he arrived at the upstate New York animal shelter, getting tucked in is an important source of comfort. Some people may find it surprising, but pit bulls are a very emotional and sensitive breed.

“Every night at closing, if someone gets into his kennel and gives him a toy, he climbs right into bed and waits to be tucked in with a blanket,” Mohawk Hudson Humane Society spokeswoman Marguerite Pearson said in a statement to InsideEdition.com.

She explained Prince can get nervous at the shelter, but tucking him in every night helps keep the animal calm and situates him to his environment.

“When he first arrived, Prince was terrified,” she explained. “He stayed curled up in a ball, shaking in the back of his kennel. Staff and volunteers started working with him, and slowly but surely, he came out of his shell.”

Prince came to the shelter back in April. His owner, unable to care for him, gave Prince to his girlfriend, but Prince slipped his collar, ran away and ended up in lock-up, attempts by the staff to reach her went unanswered.

“We followed up, expecting that she would come to redeem him, but she never did,” Pearson said.

Pearson said they’re now looking to find Prince a new home, and spent the last several months training him to sit and drop a toy on command.

“[Staff has] been taking him on outings and showering him with affection, which he loves. And he gives it right back,” she said. “He’s very smart and people-oriented.”

Pearson explained the 2-year-old pit bull would do best in a home where he’s the only animal, and when he gets to know you, “his loving personality shines and he becomes a real love bug.”

To find out more about Prince, visit the shelter’s website.

A stray dog ran onto the pitch during a National Football League match in Gori, Georgia on Sunday, much to the delight of the crowd. The dog spent around three minutes on the field, and clearly hoped to elicit a bit of affection from the players.

Wondering about that ear tag…?

So were we. So here’s the deal on that:

Back in the day, stray dogs were often shot or otherwise in this part of the world. In recent years, more humane euthanization methods were common practice – there has been a serious overpopulation problem for a very long time (dog owners have exacerbated this; many fail to spay and neuter their own pets), but several years ago, inspired by the work of animal rights activities, many governments implemented a new strategy: capturing the dogs to vaccinate and sterilize them.

Those who undergo these procedures are marked with ear tags.

It has been helping to slowly stem the population of strays. And although rescues and shelters exist, with volunteers helping the dogs find permanent, loving homes, the problem is so large – animals number in the thousands in some cities – that not all the pups can be helped.

In many cases, officials have reported that owner sterilization of their domestic pets would do as much, if not more, to help control the problem.

Georgia has its own “humane society,” in fact: the Georgian Society for the Protection and Safety of Animals, which was founded in 2006. Here’s a link to their Facebook page.

Earlier this year, the GSPSA began the “Guardian From A Distance” program, which enables individuals to become remote owners of GSPSA shelter dogs – such owners care after specific dog. In this case the animal is in the shelter, while the owner facilitates monthly donation (remote ownership fee) in the amount determined by GSPSA.

Interested in learning more? Check out this link. (And then go give your own dog a much-deserved belly rub!)

He’s a noun. He’s a verb. He’s a gorgeous, senior boy of about 8-and-a-half.

He’s DUCK!

And he needs a forever home.

This handsome gent is currently in the care of the Humane Society of Western Montana, a returning grantee of the Grey Muzzle Organization!

Duck is a distinguished fella with a heart of gold!

If you are looking for a best friend to stay by your side, he is the buddy for you.

Duck is the perfect dog to hang out in your office all day and would make a great shop dog for any business! His sweet demeanor and calm nature make him the perfect companion.

What’s even better? Duck is the Humane Society of Western Montana‘s “October Powder Hound,” so his adoption fee has been sponsored by Big Sky Brewing Company!

Visit the rescue’s website for more information on Duck!

About Grey Muzzle’s work with the Humane Society of Western Montana

The Humane Society of Western Montana is excited to partner with the Grey Muzzle Organization to help fund life-saving veterinary care for senior pets living with their forever families. A $3,000 Grey Muzzle grant to the Humane Society’s Nandi Wishcamper Senior Fund will award families funds to put towards expensive veterinary care for their dogs age 7+.

When senior pets end up in animal shelters or rescues, they often stay much longer than younger animals, hoping for a home of their own. To keep these older pets with their families, and to prevent them from entering a shelter, the Humane Society’s Nandi Wishcamper Fund provides funding to those in financial need to cover the cost of urgent veterinary care for their four-legged companions. Financial awards to families are often coupled with similar awards from Friends of the Shelter, Missoula Animal Control’s auxiliary 501(c)3 nonprofit fund.

While the Nandi Fund is available for both dogs and cats of all ages, the Grey Muzzle grant is dedicated to dogs age 7+.

The Nandi Fund originated in 2009 after Nandi, an 8 year-old German Shorthair Pointer, suddenly died. Her family set up this Fund in her memory to help people keep their pets.

Two weeks ago, staffers at Richmond Animal Care and Control (RACC) saw yet another heartbreaking case of the unthinkable; a little dog had been found in a trash bag, alone at the side of the road.

Generally, staffers told CBS 6, it’s usually too late for these animals – but little Annabelle was found alive.

And now, she’s got a forever family to give her all the love she was missing before.

(RACC) officials posted the good news on their Facebook page over the weekend.

“The day has come!” officials posted. “We are THRILLED to announce that Annabelle was just adopted. A thousand thanks to each of you for supporting her through this journey at RACC. We share our joy with YOU! Good luck, sweet little girl, and may your life be wonderful and filled with love and snuggles.”

Annabelle’s new mom was thrilled to have her home and later posted a photo of Annabelle,noting she was doing “awesome” in her new home.

“She and her big brother Jake are getting along great!” Magne wrote. “They’ve already eaten, and gone out, and had a visit and gotten presents! She’s sound asleep on my lap right now. Jake and I love her so much and can’t wait to give her the best life ever!!!”

Magne added that she was looking forward to seeing the dog “thrive and be happy.”

“I’ll try to start a FB and Instagram page for Annabelle and her brother Jake,” she shared.

The Shih Tzu mix was discovered in a garbage bag on the side of Midlothian Turnpike and was brought into the shelter late on Sept. 13, according to RACC Director Christie Peters.

“[The citizens] showed up here with a dog that had been found in a garbage bag that was still in the garbage bag in their car,” Peters explained.

Nearly 100 percent of the dog’s skin was infected including both of its eyes. The dog, that the shelter named Annabelle, is estimated to be five years old and also has poor teeth.

“She has been treated terribly in the past. Obviously, no one has cared for her in a very long time,” Peters stated. “This neglect has been months and months and months in the making.”

Annabelle is incredibly sweet and playful despite her appearance, Peters said.

Officials has asked anyone who recognized the dog or anyone who knows anything about the people connected to her to contact them, but at last check no one had come forward.

We are so thrilled for Annabelle and her new family; it’s a beautiful “happily ever after” story for this newly minted princess of a pup.