Greyhound rescue: Lucy wins a heart by a nose
SF Chronicle Dec. 22, 2010
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Video Exposes Cruelty at Tucson Greyhound Park
Video Exposes Cruelty at Tucson Greyhound Park Summer 2010
For over sixty years, the public has been prevented from seeing the terrible way dogs are treated at Tucson Greyhound Park. Last summer, our team of professional investigators finally got into to the kennel compound to learn the truth. (grey2k)
Letter to Mayor of South Tuscon, AZ Dec. 21, 2010
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Group says W.Va. officials have delayed greyhound report
Group says W.Va. officials have delayed greyhound report
Charleston Daily Mail
Dec. 20, 2010
CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Nearly two years after an anti-greyhound racing group first sought records relating to dog injuries at the racetrack in Nitro, the group says that the state Racing Commission has yet to honor its request.
Grey2K USA, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit dedicated to outlawing greyhound racing nationwide, first requested copies of injury reports and other documents at Mardi Gras Casino and Resort, formerly known as Tri-State Racetrack and Gaming Center, in early 2009.
Since that time, the group’s representatives say they have filed seven additional records requests with the racing commission – the agency that regulates dog racing in West Virginia – to no avail.
But the group, which has helped spearhead investigations into racetracks across the nation, has consistently received copies of injury reports from the racetrack in Wheeling, as well as other documents relating to the track at Mardi Gras.
“There appears to be an orchestrated effort between the track and the racing commission to prevent public disclosure of greyhound injury reports at one track in the state,” said Carey Theil, Grey2K executive director.
“The fact that they are disclosing the injury data for one track, but not the other, is mystifying.”
Jon Amores is the new executive secretary of the racing commission. He called Theil’s allegation that the racing commission has tried to keep records secret “total fiction.”
“There was simply a delay at the least and a miscommunication at the worst,” Amores said. “And we are working to correct it.
“Any conclusion other than that would be incorrect.”
Amores said that the delay is partly due to significant staff turnover in the racing commission’s Charleston offices.
Over the past year, five of the six office staffers have been replaced. Amores, a former House Judiciary chairman and most recently deputy commerce secretary, has only been on the job as the executive secretary for little more than a month, he said.
“People are measuring their experience here in terms of months, not years,” he said. “It is literally almost a completely new staff.”
The racing commission is actively working on fulfilling the group’s records request. Last week, the Daily Mail filed its own request for injury reports for the past five years.
Amores confirmed receipt of the Daily Mail’s request and said the records are being compiled.
Grey2K representatives said they first asked for the records in March 2009.
In the first request, dated March 4, 2009, Christine Dorchak, the group’s attorney, asked for “any and all disposition records produced by the greyhound racetrack of West Virginia from January 1, 2008 to present,” as well as all injury reports for the same time period.
Theil admitted there was a crucial typo in the first few letters.
Dorchak mistakenly wrote “track,” instead of “tracks,” leaving some confusion as to which track’s records the group was seeking. There are two in West Virginia that race greyhounds.
But the error was clarified in a new letter dated April 23, 2009. That letter – the group’s fourth request – clarified that Grey2K was interested in records “produced by the greyhound tracks of West Virginia from January 1, 2008 to present.”
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8 greyhounds die on trip; haulers fined, suspended
8 greyhounds die on trip; haulers fined, suspended
Arizona Daily Star
(Letter writing campaign to – Arizona Governor & Arizona Department of Racing Director Lonny Powell – ador@azracing.org )
12-15-10
Eight greyhounds died in early September, likely of heat exhaustion, while being hauled across the country to Arizona, documents from the state’s Department of Racing show.
The haulers, Lonnie and Jamie Boyle, were recently suspended for 30 days and fined $500 each for failing to properly care for 27 greyhounds during the move.
The eight greyhounds likely died near El Paso, documents show. The couple traveled through Tucson with the dead dogs, but never stopped at Tucson Greyhound Park to look into veterinary care for the surviving dogs, documents say.
Lonnie Boyle told an investigator with the state’s Department of Racing he did not want the surviving dogs to be quarantined. They instead traveled on to a farm in the city of Maricopa, just outside of Phoenix.
It’s unclear if the eight dead dogs were destined to race at Tucson Greyhound Park.
Track manager Tom Taylor said the deaths have absolutely nothing to do with Tucson Greyhound Park. He said the 27 dogs were destined for a number of different locations. Some would race at Tucson Greyhound Park; others were scheduled to race at a track in Tijuana, Mexico. Still others were female dogs that were going to have pups.
Arizona Department of Racing Director Lonny Powell declined to comment because he will likely hear the case in the future.
The deaths have stirred opponents of greyhound racing. Carey M. Theil, executive director of the nonprofit Grey 2k USA, which requested the documents about the dead dogs, thought the penalty was far too lenient, and he hoped Powell would stiffen the penalty.
“A 30-day suspension, and a $500 fine, for the death of eight dogs. That to me would be unconscionable,” Theil said. “I would find that penalty very hard to believe.”
While Theil acknowledged there was no direct connection to Tucson Greyhound Park, he said the facility has become increasingly isolated as more and more dog tracks shut down across the country, including Phoenix Greyhound Park. This isolation means dogs are being hauled long distances to get to Arizona, and that will only mean more overheating deaths for dogs, he said.
Lonnie Boyle told investigators he and his wife were driving from Oklahoma City to a farm outside of Phoenix in early September, according to reports. For the most part, he said they stopped to check on the dogs every four hours, as the state’s administrative code outlines. Boyle claimed a rainstorm kept him from checking on the dogs during one stretch, but the investigator saw no evidence of any severe weather. Also, the stated drive times did not support the Boyles’ story, the report says.
“The evidence does not support that they drove through severe rainstorms,” the report says. “However, evidence does show hot weather and high humidity, which is a factor in the death of the dogs.”
Contact Josh Brodesky at 573-4242 or jbrodesky@azstarnet.com
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Rejected racing greyhounds killed for experiments.
Death at UQ Labs Dec. 11, 2010
Vet students conducting LIVE Animal experiments resulting in the deliberate death of countless healthy animals at the University of Queensland.
Rejected racing greyhounds killed for experiments.
The Australasian greyhound racing industry is passing on countless greyhounds that are no longer fast enough or making them a profit by selling or donating them to vivisection laboratories for experimentation, dissection, and surgical training.
These helpless victims that have already been betrayed by the racing industry are adding to the number of tortured animals suffering in vivisection laboratories.
Investigations into the University of Queensland veterinary science labs have uncovered truckloads of healthy animals left to suffer and die through experimentation at the UQ laboratories.
These dogs, cats, and other abandoned animals are being deliberately killed by veterinary students.
Despite fear of persecution, many ex veterinary students have blown the whistle on the poor conditions animals have been kept in at the UQ labs. Eyewitness accounts describe routine killing, neglect, and animals forced to endure painful procedures resulting in death.
The university’s own publications state:
“The University of Queensland is one of only a few vet schools in Australia where live animals are used as part of the teaching regime.”
UQ veterinary professors maintain that the ability to experiment on live animals gives their students an “advantage”, despite the accepted use and ready availability of humane alternatives.
How advantageous is it to teach young vets to deliberately and unnecessarily kill healthy animals?
Where does this foster compassion in vets?
Why are some students afraid to speak out?
These are questions being raised by concerned students and activists who are calling on the University of Queensland to save the lives of hundreds of needy animals, move out of the dark ages and enforce a ban on animal experimentation.
Inside “Death at UQ Labs”
Learn more about the “Death at UQ Labs” campaign (links to these pages can also be found in the left navigation column):
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Ms. Cheney banned from racing due to death of a greyhound at The Gardens
9-12-10
| Cheney Disqualified Written by: GRNSW | 09/12/10 |
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GRNSW Stewards have concluded an inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the death of the greyhound Two Up Harry at The Gardens on Friday 12 February 2010.
Evidence was taken from Ms Cheney, GRNSW Integrity Officer Mr Steve Walliss, Dr Brian Garratt (The Gardens Veterinarian), Mr Lincoln Moncrieff, Mr Peter Young (The Gardens employee), Mr Phil Carrall and Mr Dennis Barwick.
Ms Cheney was found guilty of a charge under Greyhound Racing Rule 106 (1) in that she had failed to provide reasonable care and supervision of the greyhound despite the prevailing atmospheric conditions resulting in Two Up Harry unnecessarily suffering heat stress.
Ms Cheney was further found guilty of a charge under Greyhound Racing Rule 106 (1) in that she failed to ensure that the greyhound Two Up Harry which was in her care at The Gardens on Friday 12 February 2010 was provided with veterinary attention when necessary despite the directions of Dr Garratt.
After considering submissions on penalty Ms Cheney was disqualified for a period of 12 months on each of the two charges, which is to be served concurrently. Stewards also ordered the penalties be less the time of three months already served by Ms Cheney between inquiries on Wednesday 26 May and Wednesday 25 August 2010 at which time her licence had been suspended. In determining the penalty Stewards took into consideration the not guilty plea entered by Ms Cheney on both charges, her unblemished record in relation to this rule over a period of more than 30 years, the seriousness of the matter which ultimately ended in the death of the greyhound, previous penalties in the relation to the same rules and the effects that such findings have on the image of greyhound racing.
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Accused Greyhound Dog Killer Enters ‘Not Guilty’ Plea
Accused Greyhound Dog Killer Enters ‘Not Guilty’ Plea – Florida
WJHG Ch 7 Dec. 6, 2010 Chipley – A Washington County man accused of killing more than 30 Greyhound racing dogs now has legal representation. A judge appointed a public defender for 36 year old Ronald Williams Monday morning, as he plead ‘not guilty’ to 42 counts of felony animal cruelty. The charges stem from the October 29th discovery of dozens of dead dogs at an Ebro Greyhound Park kennel. 36 year old Ronald Williams walked into the Washington County Courtroom Monday without any legal representation. And he didn’t seem too concerned about the 42 counts of animal cruelty he is currently facing. “32 counts of felony cruelty to animals and in case number 414, ten counts of felony cruelty to animals,” says Assistant State Attorney Erin Oliver. Authorities arrested Williams on October 29th after they found 32 dead greyhounds in the Ebro Greyhound Park kennel that was assigned to him. Necropsies found the animals died from starvation and dehydration. The case has sparked outrage from animal rights groups who are demanding Williams receive the maximum punishment. Monday morning Williams told Circuit Judge Allen Register he could not afford an attorney. “Do you have a bank account?” “No sir,” he replied. “Do you own any stocks, bonds or any type of investment? “No sir.” But before he was arrested, Williams was making a decent paycheck. “Prior to being arrested, what was your weekly or bi-weekly income?” “Um…it depends…somewhere around a thousand, fifteen hundred a week.” Judge Register then appointed a public defender and accepted his ‘not guilty’ plea. His next court date will be a pre-trial hearing on February 11th. The Walton County Sheriff’s Office is conducting its own investigation into whether Williams is connected to the death of eight Greyhounds found under the Highway 20 bridge.Owner of the race track Mr. STOCKEN HESS
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Hollywood (FL) group works to save greyhounds
12-2-10 Hollywood Daily Sun
BY EILEEN SOLER
Special to the Miami Herald
Former Greyhound racers and their humans raised their voices in a communal howl at Hollydog Greyhound Adoption organization’s annual Walk for the Greyhounds on Hollywood Beach. Sustained “roos” came from the chorus of nearly 100 four-footed and two-footed friends to bring awareness to the adoption agency and the plight of the racer dogs.
“Yes, they sing,” said Linda Howard, flanked by her “boy” Mantovani, 7, and “girl” Aida, 9.
But most Greyhounds never get the chance to sing. Silvana Cortella, who operates the rescue program and Hollydogs Inn – Pet Hotel in Hollywood with her husband Sergio, said only about 30 percent of retired racers find happy homes. The other 70 percent are euthanized or are killed because they are injured, sick or are no longer profitable.
Howard, a professor of education at Nova Southeastern University, said Aida was rescued along with other Greyhounds from a “kill truck” that was headed to a place used to put the dogs down. “It breaks my heart . . . if they don’t place in three races in a row, they are no longer of monetary value,” Howard said.
Hollydogs, created in 1994, finds local homes for 150 retired and rescued racers every year and transports another 100 to Philadelphia, where adoption advocates find additional homes. Others live at the agency’s five-acre Greyhound sanctuary in Bonita Springs.
The 12th annual walk, held Nov. 13 at Hollywood Beach Cultural Center, included classical music by the Florida Youth Orchestra, organic doggie treats and a vegetarian buffet “in honor of all animals,” Cortella said. Also present were representatives of Grey2K USA, a national non-profit group dedicated to protecting racing dogs and eventually ending the sport.
“For many years we stayed politically correct so that we could rescue the animals and find them homes. Now we have the connections we need to do that and work to see legislation abolish Greyhound racing,” Silvana Cortella said.
Seven states allow dog racing; Florida is one of them. According to http://www.grey2kusa.org, about 15,580 Greyhounds were bred for racing last year. Twenty-three race tracks put the dogs to work but because several states do not keep verifiable records, the group cannot confirm how many dogs are euthanized when they are no longer profitable. Estimates range up to 8,500 per year.
Dr. Michael Freimark, a pediatrician from Plantation who has adopted several retired Greyhounds, said Greyhounds start training at 6-months-old. Frequent injuries and slow speeds weed out the dogs. Many of those deemed “unprofitable” never make it to humane euthanasia. “It’s faster and cheaper for kennel owners to turn the dogs loose and kill them on the spot. It’s horrible,” Freimark said.
Last month, 32 greyhounds were found dead at a Panhandle greyhound race track. Starvation and dehydration were ruled as the cause of death.
Ronald Williams, the dogs’ trainer, was charged with 37 counts of felony animal cruelty – one for each dead dog, plus five counts for emaciated animals that were still alive, the Associated Press reported. The dogs were found dead at the Ebro Greyhound Park in north Florida.
Hollydogs has 20 Greyhounds available for adoption for a fee of $200 each. The cost includes spay or neuter, dental care, shots, fecal tests, heartworm and disease checks, a collar and leash, grooming kit and ID tag.
Kathy Pelton, of Cooper City, who adopted Molly, 11, and became an activist for Grey2K USA, said she hopes 2011 brings change – especially no more Greyhound racing. “Let’s make this a good year for Greyhounds,” Pelton said.
Information: 954-925-7758, www.hollydogs.org
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Injuries remain high at Wheeling Greyhound racetrack
Charleston Daily News
Friday December 3, 2010
Injuries remain high at racetrack
Many greyhounds suffering broken legs, other wounds despite safety renovations
by Billy Wolfe
Daily Mail staff
Charleston Daily Mail
The Associated Press
Records filed with the state Racing Commission show that greyhound injuries remained high in late September and throughout the month of October, despite a large-scale project aimed at improving safety for the dogs.
WHEELING, W.Va.–Greyhound injuries at Wheeling Island Hotel-Casino-Racetrack remained high in October, despite a large-scale construction project aimed at improving safety for the dogs.
In fact, records filed with the West Virginia Racing Commission show injuries actually increased in the weeks immediately following the track renovations.
In August, track officials announced they were shutting down to complete a $400,000 track overhaul that would make the track safer for the dogs, which they referred to as “star athletes.”
Records at the time showed that the average number of injuries jumped from 19 per month in 2009 to more than 27 per month during the first seven months of this year.
Jim Simms, president and general manager, told the Associated Press in August that the increase in injuries was an “alarm bell.”
“It was approaching double the normal level,” he said at the time.
The track reopened Sept. 20 after crews had finished their work.
From Sept. 18 through the end of October, there were 41 reported injuries, according to the records.
At least 22 of those injuries involved broken legs, the records show. Four dogs had injuries so severe that they had to be euthanized.
Sixteen injuries occurred in the last two weeks of September. The other 25 occurred in October.
One dog was put down in September. The other three were euthanized in October.
Repeated phone calls to Simms’ office were not returned. Phone calls to the track’s manager of gaming operations and marketing director also were not returned.
Lori Bohenko is the state veterinarian at the Wheeling track. She said the uptick in injuries in October and late September was expected, but that the figures for November show promise that injuries are now on the decline.
Bohenko, who has extensive experience treating both greyhounds and racing horses, said the dogs faced a “period of adaptation,” after the new track was installed.
“We initially had a spike in injuries,” she said.
She compared the situation to human athletes who sometimes struggle with a change from natural grass fields to artificial turf.
And she said that some of the injuries recorded in late September and October might have been the result of cumulative injuries the dogs accrued from months of running on the low-grade track.
“It happens with horses and it happens with dogs,” she said.
Bohenko has not yet finished her analysis of the November figures, meaning that they have yet to be filed with the Racing Commission. But she is encouraged by what she has reviewed so far.
Prior to the upgrades, Bohenko said Wheeling’s greyhounds were experiencing an injury rate of 1.99 per 100 races. Her preliminary analysis of the November figures shows that injuries have fallen to 1.88 per 100 races.
The track runs at least 134 races per week, each with eight dogs, according to past reports.
But a national group working to outlaw greyhound racing believes the figures show that catastrophic injuries simply are inherent to the industry.
“Track owners have tried to reassure the public by suggesting that this problem has gone away,” said Carey Theil, executive director of Grey2K USA. “That clearly is not the case.”
He said that most greyhound tracks do not invest the time and money in making track improvements. Therefore, there is much debate about what specific kinds of changes actually help dogs and which ones make the situation worse.
Theil said he was glad to see the track invested so much money in the safety of its dogs. But he said the industry itself is the root of the problem.
“Injuries are a part of the dog racing industry and it’s certainly a good thing that the track was resurfaced,” he said. “But dogs are still dying.
“As long as we have dogs racing so that gamblers can gamble on them, there are going to be serious injuries,” he said.
The track was built in 1976. Prior to the overhaul, the track was last refurbished in the 1980s, according to AP.
Contact writer Billy Wolfe at billy.wo…@dailymail.com“>billy.wo…@dailymail.com or 304-348-4843.
############################# Note: Wheeling Track Racing Director – Jane Horvath – 877-943-3546 – jhorvath@dncinc.com Delaware North Companies Web Site – Wheeling Island Casino & Race Track
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Stop Greyhound Racing 
Greyhound Racing – A Barbaric Sport