TUCSON RACE DOGS DIE IN HAULING VEHICLE

Jun 23, 2005 - Eight or More Greyhounds Headed for the Juarez Dog Track Perish in Desert Heat

Tucson, Arizona – At least eight of the 35 Tucson racing greyhounds that were crammed into a small ten-hole trailer died of heat stroke on Tuesday as a dilapidated trailer driven by a Tucson kennel operator made its way in the soaring heat along I-10 to Juarez, Mexico. “The trailer was a rolling death trap,” said Greyhound Protection League (GPL) President, Susan Netboy. “It shouldn’t have even left the compound.”

The track-sanctioned haul was designed to get rid of race dogs that were no longer competitive at Tucson Greyhound Park or any other American racetrack. “These are dogs that had earned their retirement and deserved to go into an adoption program,” said Netboy. “Above all, they didn’t deserve the horrible death they experienced in that trailer.”

Greyhound hauling is treacherous under the best of circumstances. Dozens of tragedies are on record, but most incidents go unrecorded since there are virtually no state or federal regulations governing greyhound transportation. However, there is one notable exception: Arizona. After a 1993 incident when a hauler pulled into Tucson Greyhound Park with dead dogs on-board, the Arizona Racing Commission passed a regulation stating that no more than two greyhounds could be housed in each cage (or hole) of a hauling rig. Netboy asserts that this regulation was grossly violated on the fateful June 21st haul and that the violation played a major roll in the death of the greyhounds.

GPL intends to file a complaint against the Tucson dog track and call for a full investigation by the Arizona Department of Racing. “There’s no way that many greyhounds could fit into such a small rig without cramming four or more dogs into each compartment,” Netboy said. “We intend to find out exactly who was responsible for letting that rig leave the Tucson kennel compound.” The League is also vehemently opposed to the practice of hauling greyhounds off to a third-world dog track where they will undoubtedly be killed after their owners collect a few more pennies off their racing efforts. “It’s an unconscionable act of greed and disregard for the lives of these gentle animals,” concluded Netboy.

< back