Greyhound Racing in Tucson Arizona: to Dept of AZ Racing
January 1, 2008
Geoffrey Gonsher
Director, Arizona Department of Racing
1110 W. Washington – Suite 260
Phoenix, AZ 85007
Dear Director Gonsher:
The AZ Department of Racing seems to care about its financial side and rightly so. Then it seems to care about whether or not the gamblers are being cheated and rightly so. But there seems to be very little to no mention of greyhound welfare. The greyhounds which make greyhound racing possible are just a commodity and so what if 16 greyhounds disappear or what if more than 150 disappear? It’s business as usual as the AZ Department of Racing promotes and encourages the breeding of greyhounds (and horses) so there is always a steady supply of dogs.
On December 19, 2007, an article appeared in the Arizona Daily Star quoting you as saying that your department would be looking into it in the next 30 days.
It’s the new year and we greyhound advocates are wondering what – if anything — has been uncovered?
In an Arizona Daily Star article dated December 20, 2006 you are quoted as saying that the AZ Department of Racing was looking into a database that would make Tucson Greyhound Park more accountable about its missing dogs. Has that happened yet?
Has the greyhound database been installed and is it in use? If yes, then where are the 16 missing dogs? And worse, how could they go missing? One or two of those dogs were supposed to go to a local greyhound adoption group. So once again, Tucson Greyhound Park failed to enforce the statute R-19-329 (B) which states: “Every effort must be made to adopt the greyhounds not used for racing or breeding purposes.” Yet, another violation that goes unnoticed and not punished. Violations and missing dogs seem to run amuck at TGP and the AZ Department of Racing just looks the other way; business as usual.
If the greyhound database has not be installed, then why not? What seems to be the problem? Why would it take a year to implement a database at Tucson Greyhound Park? I believe that I read in the audit report/sunset review that the Department of AZ Racing was implementing better technology. Is that to serve the Department, the bettor, or greyhound welfare?
K. Z.
Greyhound adopter and advocate – Tucson
Tucson Greyhound Park’s (TGP) name is on a release by the American Greyhound Council held in 2006. This is an organization solely funded by the “industry”. The release publishes a Statement of Standards and Principles for American Greyhound Track Operators Association. The last item deals with the movement of dogs:
“All member tracks (of which TGP is listed) shall require that proper documentation be filed with and approved by the Racing Secretary and/or General Manager of the track before any greyhound may be removed from track premises. The documentation shall confirm and verify that the greyhound in question has been:
– Transferred to another greyhound racetrack for purposes of continued racing;’
– Returned to the original owner or breeding farm for pet or breeding purposes; or
– Upon retirement, placed into an in-house, local or nationally recognized adoption program.”
Being that Tom Taylor is the General Manager of TGP, he must have the documentation regarding the 16 greyhound dogs in question. He must have verified their whereabouts fall into one of the the three categories of movement.
Then Mr. Gonsher your job, investigation, will be very simple….ask Mr. Taylor for the documentation, call it up on the data base that is now suppose to be working at TGP …and between both of these items, we all will know exactly where the dogs are located and for what purpose.
Sorry, I have a queasy stomach, so while some of my advocacy cohorts can vividly relate the horrendous details of the abuse greyhounds suffer at the hands of some people involved with the racing industry, I can’t process this type of information because it will give me sleepless nights. All I know is what I see of greyhounds that arrive at the rescue kennel with physical, psychological and emotional wounds from their racing careers. Excuse me, aren’t careers a goal to which one aspires? Can anyone honestly tell me that greyhounds choose to race as a career? Absolutely, when young, greyhounds love to run, but the racing industry has exploited their speed in return for cash, often times to the detriment of the dog.
In earlier times, greyhounds held high status in households in Europe, the United Kingdom and the Middle East as hunters for food for their owners. Now they’re reduced to chasing a furry lure around poorly maintained tracks to make money for their owners and frequently get injured in the process. For shame.
For many owners and trainers, greyhounds are much like cattle. Once that winning purse is beyond the greyhounds’ reach, the dogs are neglected, dumped, sent off to another state to hunt coyotes – which can mean a certain death for many – or killed in the most inhumane ways: bludgeoned, electrocuted, drowned, shot, young pups are separated from their Moms to starve to death, need I go on? After all, they’re just a commodity that’s not living up to expectations, so what’s the problem? To be fair, not all owners and trainers fall into this category. I know one individual in Tucson, Arizona, who used to race his dogs at the Tucson Greyhound Park, until he wised up. This guy took good care of his hounds, never put any of his dogs down when they broke a leg or hock, or no longer won races. He always contacted a rescue group for help to pet out the dog after their injuries were resolved by the rescue group. But I venture to speculate that here, in Tucson, he’s in the minority.
When I volunteer at the kennel on Sunday mornings, and new dogs have arrived, I hold my breath, hoping that I’m not going to see an emaciated greyhound with its skin clinging to the rib cage, or a greyhound with sores and raw spots on its rump because it’s been in a cage for too long, that’s too small, with little or no exercise. Or a hound that’s so fearful of people that it will crawl on its belly, urinating all the way, hoping that you’re not going to hurt it. Or a hound that is filthy and covered with ticks and fleas, or other medical issues that have not been addressed while in the care of the racing industry. But I do encounter such neglect and abuse and it pierces my heart because I don’t understand how anyone can treat these gentle, trusting dogs so atrociously.
Thankfully, I belong to a rescue group of volunteers that are committed to soothing the greyhounds’ wounds, and helping these dogs find a loving permanent home. I foster greyhounds straight from the track and I’m always amazed at how quick they are to learn the rules of home living, and how loving they are once they trust their foster guardians. Their sensitive and trusting natures make it all the more heinous that the racing industry exploits these dogs and ignores their needs once their racing days are over. I recently adopted a greyhound from TGP that had been waiting nearly a year to get into a rescue group. I can’t fathom out why he waited a year because my rescue group could have taken him in at any time.
It’s time for Arizona to step up and make greyhound racing illegal in this state. We’re only one of a small percentage of states that allows a sport touted by Tucson Greyhound Park as family entertainment. What sort of people would encourage this type of activity? Would you raise your hand and say, I do? Knock it off Arizona – greyhound racing is blight on our otherwise wonderful state.
Thank you for setting up this great blog about the plight of these exploited animals. There are a great many of their brethren who are also exploited as sled dogs in the barbaric Alaskan Iditarod and the lesser-known, but equally cruel Yukon Quest long-distance sled dog races. The Quest has the temerity to promote itself as “the toughest sled dog race in the world.”
Like racing greyhounds, sled dogs are bred to feed man’s greed, and to entertain ignorant people who find the exploitation of animals to be entertaining. The dogs are primarily kept on chains when they are not racing. They are subject to being mercilessly culled in the quest to develop the ‘perfect athlete.’
Sled dog racing receives wide support by society in Alaska and the Yukon (in the Yukon, government is a major sponsor).
Please take the time to learn about the suffering of racing sled dogs:
http://sleddogwatchdog.com
http://helpsleddogs.org
I am currently doing a total revision of the Sled Dog Watchdog site and will be happy to provide a link to your blog. Thanks again for your important work on behalf of those who cannot speak for themselves.
I can’t belive what I’m reading on these sites about greyhounds. I don’t even know how the the owners of these greyhounds get away with abusing and killing these poor dogs. Im just a kid but i want to find ways I can help greyhounds. If any of you know of a charity i can collect money for or a sheltore that would allow me to help out with abused animals, please let me know.
I love greyhound racing. It is very exciting and they are so fast
and elegant when they run around the track competing.
God put them on earth with speed for a reason. Go Greyhounds!!!