Issue Position: Animal Welfare

Issue Position

Humane Treatment of Florida's Greyhound Racing Dogs
As a member of the Florida House, Carlos worked alongside animal welfare advocates in support of enacting important protections for greyhound racing dogs. In 2017, Rep. Smith passed legislation in the House with overwhelming bipartisan support that banned the use of harmful anabolic steroids on racing dogs.

Passage of Amendment 13
Before 2018, every three days, a greyhound died on one of Florida's inhumane dog racing facilities. They died from broken necks, broken backs, heat exhaustion and many other types injuries. According to state regulators, these dogs were often confined 20-23 hours per day in cages barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around.

Alongside organizations like Grey2K, Carlos helped lead the effort to pass Amendment 13 in 2018 (with the approval of 69% of voters statewide), which finally banned cruel and inhumane greyhound racing in the state of Florida. Rep. Smith's advocacy was even featured in digital ads with Republican lawmakers to demonstrate the overwhelming bipartisan support for the measure. Watch the full Amendment 13 ad here.

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