No greyhounds in Rehoboth Beach Convention Center

The 24th annual Reach the Beach is expected to bring hundreds of greyhounds to Rehoboth in October. Despite meeting a number of city requests, the group will not be allowed to host a reception in the newly renovated Rehoboth Beach Convention Center.

By a 4-3 vote, during a May 18 meeting, Rehoboth Beach Commissioners denied a request by Reach the Beach officials that would have allowed seminars, vendors and people with their dogs inside the convention center throughout the 4-day event.

Mayor Paul Kuhns and Commissioners Patrick Gossett, Stan Mills and Toni Sharp voted against the application. Commissioners Jay Lagree, Kathy McGuiness and Lisa Schlosser voted in favor.

Closed since November 2015, the convention center reopened in March after an extensive renovation as part of the new city hall construction.

As a dog owner, Kuhns said he appreciated the greyhound group and what they bring to the city, but allowing them in the new facility was going too far.

Sharp said she was concerned about the precedent that would be set if the town allowed the event. She asked what would happen when a group who likes bullmastiffs wants to come?

“I can’t find any way to get to yes,” she said.

Mills said he was concerned the convention center wouldn’t be able to get back to its superior cleanliness.

Gail Rys is Greyhound Pet Adoptions of Delaware president and a member of the Reach the Beach group making the request.

In an interview May 21, Rys said all the group wanted this year was a trial run; the city wouldn’t have to continue if it didn’t work out.

“It’s so disappointing,” she said.

The commissioner’s vote against the application came after two city committees – Rehoboth Beach Animal Issues Committee and Rehoboth Beach Bandstand/Convention Hall/Special Events Committee – voted unanimously in favor.

Event organizers also received approval from Delaware Health and Social Services Division of Public Health so long as the group agreed not to use the kitchen, to pay for cleaning and to have insurance.

Rys said the group agreed to all of that. She said the greyhound group was also able to resolve a scheduling conflict with another group to make the convention center available the weekend of Oct. 4.

It feels like the city set up a whole bunch of steps – that were met – just to deny the application in the end, Rys said.

“We still don’t have a cogent reason why they denied the application,” she said, then going to address concerns. “Just because they say, ‘Yes,” to us, doesn’t mean they have to say, ‘Yes,’ to everybody.”

Rys said greyhound owners host indoor events all over the country – quickly listing off Grapehound Wine Tour, which takes place in a winery in New York, and another convention in Hershey, Pa.

“I could list example after example,” she said.

Historically, the event has been held at the Rehoboth Beach Volunteer Fire Company’s Station 86 in downtown Rehoboth. In recent years, the Sleep Inn and Suites off Route 1 outside of Rehoboth, had hosted the event.

Rys said the group has outgrown those two locations, which made the convention center so appealing.

“When I heard the decision, it was a crushing feeling,” she said.

Rys said the group will continue to look for an indoor facility in the Cape Region. “All we need a building and electricity,” she said.

Editor’s Note: This article has been corrected show to the greyhound adoption group Gail Rys is president of.