End Greyhound Abuse - help defend those who can't defend themselves

I have never written a petition before, but I felt compelled to do something after reading about the horrific abuse of greyhounds at race tracks that is currently legal in the United States. I apologize to make you read this, but this is a cause that is very near and dear to my heart, to think that Julian and Panda could have been in these conditions infuriates me, and I need your help to make sure that this does not happen to any more helpless animals, Please take a second to read and sign my petition.

Greyhound racing is not a "sport" about fast dogs, but a state-sanctioned form of gambling ruled by profit. When greyhounds do not run profitably, they are of little use to the racing business. Approximately 20,000 greyhounds are killed each year in the United States alone. Despite racing industry propaganda, the majority of unwanted greyhounds are not placed as pets - there are simply not enough homes for them all.

Young greyhounds that do show promise are individually registered and named before going to a track at about 18 months. Of the 507,596 born in 1989-2000, only 395,545 were individually registered. That means that roughly 22 percent disappeared before they reached the track.

Since 1990, there have been more than 51 media-documented cases of mistreatment of greyhounds, collectively involving thousands of dogs. These cases include greyhounds shot, abandoned, left starving in their crates, sold for medical experimentation, and even electrocuted.

"In early May our group took in six dogs from a 20-doug haul, rescued from the Sanford-Orlando Kennel Club, which was closing for the season. I had been warned that some of the dogs were in 'rough shape' but I was not prepared for what we saw when they arrived. "Almost all of the dogs had deep, open pressure sores on their rumps, far worse than the usual crate baldness. All of them were heavily infested with fleas, ticks and internal parasites. One female had an infected gash on her neck; her tail was completely missing leaving her rectum exposed. Another female's back left foot had 'dropped toes,' usually the result of torn ligaments and/or broken bones. One male had a respiratory infection and a 105-degree fever. Another male had a staph infection; his entire body was covered with large pus-filled blisters.

"All of the dogs received appropriate medical care and are now doing well in permanent or foster homes."

Donna Lakin, President
Second Chance for Greyhounds, Michigan
Greyhound Network News, Fall 1996

"Since March [1996] our group has made three trips to a Florida track kennel and rescued more than 50 greyhounds. We took dogs from four of approximately 20 kennels there. The stench was overpowering in the dark, airless building. The dogs peered at us through the broken wires of dilapidated wooden crates. "The dogs were infested with fleas and ticks; even in the darkened building we could see the dogs' coats moving. Most dogs were in terrible condition; severely underweight with hip and rib bones sticking out. One female had a bladder infection and was urinating blood. She died later despite our efforts to save her. One male went into convulsions en route %u2013 we almost lost him. We later learned that this dog had been beaten by his trainer for urinating in his crate. He is now in a loving, adoptive home and his convulsions have stopped.

"We did encounter several owners and trainers who took good care of their dogs but they were far outnumbered by those who cared little for their racing greyhounds."

Name Withheld by Request
Greyhound Network News
Fall 1996

Please help me to defend those who can not defend themselves. Please sign my petition to end greyhound racing for good.

Please sign my petition. In addition, please write the governor of Florida (Charlie.Crist@MyFlorida.com) or Governor of Arizona (http://azgovernor.gov/Contact.asp) where greyhound racing is most prevalent and let them know how you feel about greyhound racing.

I realize that many people believe that these tails of mistreatment our exaggerated and untrue, so I have included some actual documented headline stories regarding the abuse and mistreatment that show just how bad it is:

15 MALNOURISHED GREYHOUNDS SEIZED BY MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE The dogs were found penned in a field without adequate food and shelter. The bodies of four dead greyhounds were found under a tarp, along with dead puppies that had been tossed into a plastic tub. The ex-racing dogs had been acquired from local breeders for use as rabbit dogs. The live dogs were taken to a veterinary clinic where they were picked up by a local adoption group. The property owner, Delroy Reed who turned himself in on April 15th, has been charged with 15 counts of animal cruelty.

Source: Greyhound Network News, Spring 2004; Muskogee Phoenix, April 13, 2004

DISCOVERY OF 36 ABUSED GREYHOUNDS by the Iowa Department of Agriculture forces license forfeitures of greyhound breeder, Kenneth Sherrets. Upon a routine inspection of Sherret's Independence, Iowa dog farm in September, inspectors found greyhounds in very poor condition. The Dept of AG made several subsequent visits and issued repeated warnings; finally filing a complaint on October 25th. The report stated that the greyhounds were subjected to cruel and inhumane treatment and caused to suffer unnecessary pain due to inadequate food, water shelter, bedding and medical treatment. Sherrets subsequently lost his Dubuque booking and his racing privileges in both Iowa and Wisconsin. Sherrets, a long-time NGA member, allowed the NGA to remove the dogs from his farm. NGA officials refuse to disclose the whereabouts of the neglected greyhounds to the local press.

Source: Iowa Racing Commission Ruling, October 27, 2004; KWWL TV, November 1, 2004; WCF Courier, November 9, 2004

POSITIVE DRUG TESTS GO PUBLIC AND TAINT INTEGRITY OF FLORIDA GREYHOUND RACES State records from June 1, 2002, to May 30, 2003, reveal that 44 greyhounds tested positive for trace amounts of cocaine. 37 cocaine positives were recorded between 2001 and 2002 and 38 between 2000 and 2001 during the respective time frame. State regulators neither investigated nor contacted local law enforcement. A request from animal rights groups for an investigation by the state attorney general was denied.

Source: Tampa Tribune, May 3, 2004; Naples Daily News, May 20, 2004

UPDATE - RHODES CASE: NEW ALABAMA LAW REDUCES THE INHUMANE KILLING OF GREYHOUNDS FROM A FELONY TO A MISDEMEANOR David Whetstone, the Baldwin County District Attorney, who is prosecuting the Rhodes' greyhound-killing case, weighed in on the effect of a new law that passed through the Alabama legislature. Whetstone said his interpretation of the statute, a misdemeanor imposing escalating fines beginning at $500, is that it exempts racing greyhounds from a 3-year-old law that makes the torture of animals a felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison. "It's dog-specific. There's no doubt that it would exclude the "Gucci Law", or the Alabama animal cruelty law, as it applies to greyhound dogs," he said. "It effectively reduces the greyhound dog to a beast of burden... A junkyard dog has more protection than a greyhound dog under this statute."

Source: Mobile Register, June 26, 2004

BRUTAL LURE DEATH AT DAIRYLAND "WJS Larkana" and "Glo's K Peabody" were involved in a collision around the first turn; "Peabody" suffered a broken leg from the collision. Larkana became disoriented and fell into the lure pit where she suffered electric shock from the live rail and was then hit by the lure motor, severing two of her legs. The Greyhound Protection League filed a complaint with the Wisconsin State Gaming Association based on Dairyland's long standing high injury rate and the track's apparent unwillingness to stop the lure to avoid such catastrophes. Dairyland management stated that they are proud of their safety record.

Source: Associated Press, June 11, 2004; Kenosha News, June 12, 2004; GPL Complaint and injury statistics

UPDATE - RHODES CASE: TESTIMONY LINKS GREYHOUND KILLING TO FLORIDA DOG TRACKS During an April, 22 Baldwin County hearing related to the Rhodes case, investigators for the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering testified that Robert Rhodes was known from one end of Florida to the other among people in the dog-racing industry. Kennel owners and trainers from as far away as South Florida sent greyhounds to Rhodes's farm to be killed. Dog-men found the service attractive because the $10-per animal cost was about half what a veterinarian would charge for euthanasia. Thursday's testimony was the first time Baldwin County officials have detailed publicly how widespread they believe the practice is in the Sunshine State. District Attorney David Whetstone commented to the Mobile Register: "This case shows what was going on in the greyhound racing industry in Florida. It opens up the eyes to how sinister it was." Florida authorities are waiting for the outcome of the Alabama case before pursuing charges against the Florida defendants for transporting greyhounds over state lines for the purpose of killing them.

Source: Mobile Register, April 23, 2004

TWO RACING GREYHOUNDS DIE OF HEAT EXHAUSTION IN HAULER Kennel operator Marshall Rae admitted to hauling 40 greyhounds from Oregon to Oklahoma in mid-summer without stopping to check on the dogs. The two greyhounds that lost their lives during the 36 hour ordeal were disposed of in a shallow grave. Rae was suspended from racing for 90 days and ordered to pay $250 in fines by the Oregon Racing Commission.

Source: The Oregonian, February 3, 2004

THE FIRST AND LAST RACE FOR DOOMED GREYHOUND PUPPY "Mr. Junior Mint," an 18-month-old puppy, was entered into his first-ever schooling race on July 30th at the Flagler dog track. He fell and was bumped into the rail during a collision with "Our Baby Ruth," another 18-month-old pup. Two of his legs were severed when he was hit by the lure motor; he died from massive blood loss. "Our Baby Ruth," who was also injured, disappeared from the record on August 27th after performing poorly in subsequent schooling races.

Source: Greyhound Protection League complaint filed August 2, 2004; DBPR Report. September 30, 2004

TUCSON KENNEL OWNER FAILS TO PROVIDE TREATMENT FOR INJURED GREYHOUND Acting on a complaint filed by the track adoption director, the Arizona Department of Racing made an unannounced inspection of the Dunsford Kennel and found a two-year old female with multiple infected wounds up to five inches in length, elevated temperature and painful, swollen rear legs.* The adoption group took the dog and paid for her veterinary care. Dunsford was fined $500 and his license was summarily suspended for 60 days.

Source: Greyhound Network News, Spring 2004; ADOR investigative report December 2003

NOTE: *Contrary to popular belief, track vets intervene only for on-the-scene emergencies on the track. Beyond that, it is up to the kennel operator's discretion to seek off-site private veterinary care and incur any expenses.

EMACIATED RACING GREYHOUNDS CONFISCATED FROM DEFUNCT ARKANSAS BREEDING FARM Acting on a tip after three greyhounds were found running loose in desperate need of food and water, animal rescuers found mass starvation and neglect on a Paragould, Arkansas, breeding farm. A search of the dilapidated, semi-abandoned property yielded three emaciated, live greyhounds and a Labrador with five pups confined to the house and a dead greyhound in a racing cage. The bodies of 15 more dead greyhounds were discovered in a huge freezer with no electrical hook-up.

Source: Greyhound Protection League, June 2003; Greyhound Network News, Summer 2003

"so long as people are willing to go to the track and bet money on which dog will win, many, many dogs will die. There are some things which could be done to reform this "business," but such reforms would inevitably effect the profit margin and, hence, will never be implemented. Adopting a few more of those poor "retired" old racers is fine; we're all for it and we'll do everything we can to help. But that approach is like trying to put out an oil field fire with a garden hose.
"The killing will never stop until people realize that it is the "business" of greyhound racing which fosters and perpetuates the cruelty, no matter how hard they try to separate themselves from it. And it's just that simple.

"The cruelty will never end until greyhound racing is out of business."

Gary E. Dungan
Shelter Manager
Humane Society of Tucson
Spring 1992 Newsletter