The campaign to end greyhound racing in Florida received a $1.5 million donation from the animal activist foundation run by Doris Day.
The political Committee to Protect Dogs was created in support of Amendment 13, a proposal on the November ballot to phase out greyhound racing in the state. Florida is one of six states allowing dog racing.
After years of failed attempts by lawmakers to pass legislation banning the events, the Constitution Revision Committee used a different approach by voting in April to allow the public to decide.
Campaigns on both sides of the issue say the stakes are high.
Sonia Stratemann, vice chairman for the pro-ban camp, Yes on 13, shares her story of being blacklisted by track owners for speaking up about mistreatment. She owns a greyhound adoption non-profit and told First Coast News she treated and found homes for around 2,300 former racing dogs in the past 14 years.
"The first two I took into my rescue had broken legs that weren't treated, and the last two came to me with broken legs that weren't treated," Stratemann said.
She said she became a liaison for trainers who had to get rid of dogs unfit to race. She said the work she loved came with a condition.
"Right away they told me 'No pictures, don't tell anyone anything. Don't put any injured dogs on social media,'" Stratemann said. "I couldn't even name my rescue 'Rescue, I had to make sure it said 'greyhound adoption'...because they don't believe that the dogs are being rescued."
After recently becoming vocal about what she alleges is mistreatment of dogs in the industry, Stratemann said track owners and trainers no longer send dogs her way.
"I've been blacklisted," she said. "It was hard for me to take knowing that more dogs were going to die because I did speak out."
Jennifer Newcome, a third generation dog trainer, questions Stratemann's claims.
"If all of the things that she's claiming were going on, why did she never file a complaint?" said Newcome.
Newcome is chairman of the Committee to Support Greyhounds, a group opposing any ban on greyhound racing. She said a phase-out of the sport would have a devastating effect on the 3,000 Florida employees she estimates are employed by tracks, kennels and farms. She was forced to move to Florida for work after Massachusetts changed its laws to ban the sport in 2009.
"If these people all lose their jobs, no only will they be losing their livelihood and their passion, how they're going to have to worry about how they're going to feed their families," Newcome said. "[We're at a disadvantage] only because Yes on 13 has major backing from [animal activists groups] like Doris Day's foundation. We're here trying to spread the truth."
The Florida Greyhound Association filed a challenge to block Amendment 13 from the ballot in November. The case remains pending in Leon County.