Like the ball in basketball or the puck in hockey, that’s how greyhounds are used in the sport of dog racing. Man’s best friend quickly turns to man’s best money maker.

When hitting the polls this week, the last amendment — No. 13 — was not the priority decision for most voters. One might have seen dogs were involved and decided to care enough to vote “yes.”

Although you cared for one day, these dogs have been struggling for years.

Being put at the end of an already cluttered ballot, the amendment’s success depended on those who truly cared enough to make the difference.

And we made the difference, although over two million disagreed.

Some people simply don’t understand the cruelty of dog racing. This sport is riddled with abuse and neglect. It’s just another way to gamble. Except this gambling has living, breathing animals at stake.

According to ASPCA, over the course of seven years there have been 11,722 Greyhound injuries. These include crushed skulls, broken backs, paralysis and electrocutions. If not killed when seen as unimportant to their owners, they’re sent to kennels to be used as breeding stock.

Those puppies we take home from the shelter. Those dogs we consider family. One would be sick to know the truth about how these graceful greyhounds are treated in this sport. Once their “careers are over,” the many not adopted are euthanized.

What if when you retire or aren’t right for a certain job, instead of losing that job you lose your life? Seems rough.

Since the amendment passed, dog racing will be phased out by 2020. Abuse and unnecessary killings will end.

With this abolishment, people will lose their jobs. Some have been in this industry their whole lives and know no other career. The passing of this amendment will cause some hardships for the people affected. But it will save thousands of dogs each year.

How do we treat our household dogs like royalty then throw our money on dogs whose lives revolve around running in circles as quickly as they can in fear of being battered when the race is over?

We need to begin to embody our classification as humans and become more humane. This amendment was one step in the right direction for the humanity of Floridians.

Zoe Zbar is a junior majoring in marketing.