TWENTY-THREE GREYHOUNDS PERISH AT VICTORYLAND DOG TRACK

Jan 14, 2007 - Greyhound Protection League Calls for an Independent Safety Taskforce Review of all Alabama Kennel Compounds

Shorter, AL – The bodies of the 23 greyhounds that died in the Victoryland kennel compound were transferred to Auburn and Tuskegee Universities on Friday for autopsy examination. Sources have identified a “heating malfunction” in one of the kennels as the cause of death. At least 50 other greyhounds were affected by what has been referred to as “overheating”. The Alabama State Agriculture Commission is conducting the investigation; however, no additional details are currently available. Additional, there is no explanation as to why races were cancelled for three days prior to the incident.

Greyhound Protection League President (GPL) is calling for a full-scale investigation and the formation of an independent taskforce to establish safety standards at all Alabama dog tracks. “Kennel compounds are virtual death traps when something goes wrong,” said GPL President, Susan Netboy. Netboy points out that at each track 1,000 to 1,500 greyhounds are housed within the kennel compound. The greyhounds live in small cages from which there is no escape in the event of an emergency. “Whatever the cause of death, the dead and injured dogs experienced prolonged suffering before there was any manner of human intervention. That is directly attributable to the lack of adequate safety measures and/or the installation of an alarm system,” said Netboy. “In our view, this was avoidable man-made tragedy that has to be prevented in the future.”

Kennel deaths are not uncommon in the racing industry, notably:
* 2005 - 17 greyhounds perished and 49 were injured from smoke inhalation caused by an improperly maintained air conditioning unit at the Naples/Ft. Myers Track
* 2005 - 73 greyhounds died in a kennel fire on a West Virginia dog farm
* Over 120 greyhounds died in a series of kennel fires at the Wonderland Greyhound Track compound in Massachusetts in the 1990’s

GPL is also concerned about the status of the surviving greyhounds that suffered in this incident. “The 50 plus survivors need proper veterinary care and transportation to legitimate greyhound adoption organizations so that they can recover and live out their days in a loving home,” said Netboy. “We intend to make sure that the victims don’t quietly disappear.”

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Website:

http://www.greyhounds.org

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