Happy Anniversary, South Tucson greyhound track.  A fire occurred one year ago today (May 28).  The fire damage  still appears un-repaired.

Is that commonplace in South Tucson?

Could other South Tucson establishments that cater to the public have remained open with unrepaired fire damage? Could a pizza parlor or video game arcade or grocery store have remained open with fire damage that has not been repaired?

Makes you wonder how quickly the fire damage would have been repaired if the track had to remain closed until the work was completed and approved by inspectors.

Tags: Greyhound Racing - TUCSON (TGP) by NoMoreRacing
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Arizona: Race Cars Not Dogs

What a good idea. Too bad nobody in South Tucson has thought of that.

Just think if they changed the South Tucson dog park into a car race park, what a wonderful world it would be especially for the dogs because no dogs would be confined 20+ hours a day; no dogs would eat harmful RAW 4D meat; no dogs would be injected with anabolic steroids; no dogs would break their legs and hocks; and no dogs would be euthanized or disappear.

Yes, what a wonderful world it would be.

Colorado is one smart state as it’s doing just that. A former dog track is converting into a wildly popular race track for cars. Now that’s family entertainment…not a dog running into the railing and being electrocuted. My family would have nightmares for weeks if they saw that.

So few people go to the dog track in South Tucson that the local restaurants would actually benefit far more from car racing than dogs dying racing.

Tags: Greyhound Racing, Greyhound Racing - TUCSON (TGP) by NoMoreRacing
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A greyhound at the Birmingham Alabama Race Course tested positive for cocaine last fall, and the dog’s handler was fined and suspended for 60 days. (BFD)

According to the article, it’s not the first time that racing greyhounds in Alabama have been associated with improper drug use.

In 2007, 13 regular patrons at Mobile Greyhound Park were arrested for what authorities described as a scheme to fix races using so-called male enhancement products. Prosecutors said at the time that a pill commonly available at health food stores — and marketed as a sex aid — was given to dogs that were favored to win. Those behind the plan hoped the drugs would raise the dogs’ heart rate to the point that they became exhausted before the race and would lose, prosecutors said at the time. The conspirators bet on non-drugged dogs that offered longer odds and a better payout, authorities said.

Of the 13 men arrested, three were charged with tampering with racing. All of the tampering-with-racing charges eventually were dropped…and herein lies the problem. Charges were dropped. (And what were patrons doing behind the scenes with access to the dogs and drugging the dogs? So much for purported regulation)

Contact Alabama Governor Bob Riley and asked him to investigate dog cruelty associated with Alabama greyhound racing.

In Florida, in 2007, the death of three greyhounds in the Daytona Beach Kennel Club were found to have tested positive for traces of cocaine in their system.

(Always the pro-racing contingent can find an excuse to justify the drug incident and mistreatment. Always.)

This is not the first time that racing greyhounds have tested positive for cocaine in Florida. In 2004, the Tampa Tribune reported that over 100 dogs had tested positive for cocaine over the previous three years! It’s unclear exactly why trainers give cocaine to dogs.

And Greyhound Network News reported in 2004, “ the Tampa Tribune reported on May 3 that 119 racing dogs tested positive for traces of cocaine over a three-year period at the state’s racetracks, an average of 40 per year. The reporting period covered June 1, 2000 through May 30, 2003. Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering officials said the positive tests, which represented one-tenth of 1 percent of the 104,000 urine samples tested, are most likely the result of incidental contact, rather than an attempt to fix races.” (Always an excuse – is that like second hand smoke?)

Across the pond in 2007, Northern Ireland greyhounds were doped with cocaine, amphetamines, and herbal ecstasy. A greyhound enthusiast said the figures represented “a tiny minority” of those involved in greyhound racing.

Even if everyone involved with greyhound racing was a solid upstanding citizen saint which is a far cry from reality, greyhound racing unto itself is cruel and inhumane.

Tags: ABUSE-Greyhound History, Greyhound Racing, Nationwide Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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May 22 – May 29, 2010 is Greyhound Awareness in the UK.

Do you remember the name David Smith?

He was the assassin who reportedly killed 10,000 greyhounds over a period of 15 years. According to him, it was a “favour to society.”

When Smith’s heinous canine crimes came to light, worldwide media attenion brought huge damage to the dog racing industry in the UK as well as a number of other newspaper articles about greyhounds being slaughtered in others parts of the UK.

This shocking news contributed to a huge fall in dog racing attendance which caused a half dozen major tracks to close in the UK. It also caused most of the other tracks to cut some of their race nights for financial reasons.

While David Smith is to blame for his unspeakable crime, the bigger crime lies with the dog racing industry for seeking out such a solution in lieu of adoption. And the biggest crime of all is about the greyhound racing industry’s lack of accountability and ongoing mistreatment of race dogs.

Learn more about how despicable greyhound racing is in the UK.

I always thought the British as more civilized than our low life kennel operators who take dogs across state lines and get them shot for $10/per dog. No matter which continent we’re on, dog racing sucks everywhere.

Tags: Greyhound Racing, International Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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Good news! Another nail in the greyhound racing industry’s coffin. Hooray!

All the tracks in New England are gone. So many hundreds of dogs that no longer will be bred. Mercifully.  Thankfully.

The best part is even the track owners didn’t want to race any more.

“The legislation had the backing of the current and prospective new owners of the Twin River slot parlor in Lincoln who wanted out of the dog-racing business which, for years, had cost more than it made.”

Here’s a video also.

Tags: Good News, Nationwide Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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Whoopee! Read the article.

By a close vote, Senators rejected a bill that was geared at making slot machines more profitable for owners of The Woodlands horse and dog tracks in Kansas City, Kan. as well as Camptown Greyhound Park in Frontenac.

Another measure that was hotly contested was the allowing for a revote in Sedgwick County to ask for slot machines to be placed at the Wichita Greyhound Park. That measure was voted down by a 20-18 vote.

Under current state law, the share of slot revenues to track owners is capped at 40 percent whereas the new bill would have increased that to 58 percent. Track owners have said that the current percentage makes opening not profitable. The new bill would have also dropped the minimum investment in a casino in southeast Kansas from $225 million to $100 million.

Tags: Good News, Nationwide Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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16 AZ greyhounds sick, lame or injured from May 1 through May 7, 2008

5/01/08 – Phoenix – Coldwater Maahs - lame, left leg

Greyhound-Data says the last race was March 7, 2008 which obviously is incorrect because the dog was injured on May 1, 2008 according to the injury report. I don’t know how the racing industry can say 90 percent of their dogs get adopted because they can’t even keep good records of who is racing and when they do or don’t stop. What happened to Coldwater Maahs?

5/01/08 – Phoenix -  DB Another Chance - sick – How? What?

According to Greyhound-Data, DB last raced 12/19/09, the last night of racing at PGP. Is this correct? I seem to have seen his name recently when I was browsing TGP’s racing schedule. How do I remember? I’m a fan of DB Cooper. I’m hoping DB Cooper had another chance too.  So what happened to DB Another Chance?  You Tucson kennel people reading this; email me and let me know. Or if your rescue group saved this dog, please let me know.

5/01/08 – Phoenix - KB’s Hot to Trot – lame, not provided

According to Greyhound-Data her last race was 3/06/08 which is wrong again. This dog kept on racing and was injured on May 1, 2008. Why isn’t Greyhound-Data’s records correct? What happened to this dog?

5/02/08 – Phoenix - BC Billy Boy - lame, right leg

Poor Billy raced 82 times. The greyhound data site has a big space of absence from March 8, 2008 to Feb 23, 2009 and then another absence to July 28, 2009. Billy was obviously racing on May 2, 2008 but greyhound-data has not recorded it. After July 28, 2009 Billy only raced twice. What happened to BC Billy Boy?

5/03/08 - Phoenix - Brenda K – sprain, right hock

Here’s another troubling entry. Brenda K was injured on May 3, 2008. She sprained her right hock but it’s not listed on the Greyhound-Data site. Why not? There is nothing listed from March 2008 to Jan 2009. This poor dog continues to limp along running for her life from Phoenix to Southland to VictoryLand. What happened to Brenda K?

5/03/08 – Phoenix - Gunner – fracture, right ankle,  3 months recovery time

Poor Gunner fractured his right ankle. Raise your hand if you think a fractured right ankle should be a career ending injury. Why would this dog continue to race? According to the injury report he was injured again only three months later – August 6, 2008. A dog with a fractured ankle has 3 months recovery time and then has to run again. This is the problem with greyhound racing. Dogs are used and reused, lame or not. Does the racing industry know the difference between right vs. wrong? Where is Gunner now? Did Gunner finally find a loving forever home or not?

5/03/08 - Phoenix -   Phat Az – something happened to Phat’s left foot

Nobody bothered to complete the injury report info as to the full name; so much for AZ state oversight and regulation; many dogs’ name begin with Phat Az. Nobody cared enough about this dog to completely fill out the injury report.

5/03/08 – Tucson -  Big Epistle -  sprain, left hock, ankle

Lucky for the Big Epistle, this was a career-ending injury and he was adopted through Greyhounds of the Verde Valley.

5/05/08 – Phoenix - Reward Becky -   lame, right foot

Once again the Greyhound-Data lists her last race as 3/06/08 but the injury report knows better. What good is the industry-driven Greyhound Data if it’s frequently wrong? It mirrors the overall racing industry. Wrong! Wrong! Wrong! What happened to Reward Becky?

5/06/08 – Phoenix -   Astar Clayton -   lame, not provided

Greyhound-Data lists last race as 3/07/08. According to the injury report not only was he injured on May 6 but injured again July 24 with a tear in left leg muscle. Did this end his career? Dog, I hope so but who knows how these dogs are used and misused?  What happened to Astar Clayton?

5/06/08 – Phoenix  - CL Gotta Eat – fracture, left hock

Was this a career-ending injury? Hopefully no cruel trainer made CL run again with a fractured left hock. The Greyhound-Data site says CL last raced 11/17/07 in Tucson. Wrong again!  What happened to CL Gotta Eat?

5/06/08 – Phoenix -  Ingenious -   lame, right leg

How many times does a dog have to be injured or reported as lame before the dog is retired? Not only was Ingenious’ right leg lame on May 6 but injured again on October 4, something happened (info not provided) once again the right leg, and then lame again on October 16, same leg.  Greyhound Data lists this greyhound’s last race on June 3, 2009. Is that right? Greyhound Data’s races dates differ from the injury report. What happened to Ingenious?

5/06/08 -  Phoenix  - JP’s Squareshot -  sick, not provided – How was it sick?

Who rescued this dog?

5/06/08 – Phoenix -  Phat Az Carmen -   lame, right leg

Greyhound-Data once again lists Phat Az Carmen’s last race 4/24/08 but her right leg became lame on May 6, 2008. Fortunately, Carmen was adopted through AZ Greyhound Rescue.

5/06/08 – Phoenix -  Queen Victoria -  sprain, right hock

What happened to Queen Victoria?

5/07/08 – Tucson -    Valley Chamo -   tear, right ankle, ligament

This was a career-ending injury. What happened to Valley Chamo?

Thank dog Phoenix Greyhound Park closed and will soon be a soccer field. Two legged athletes may be injured during the game but four legged greyhounds won’t become lame and fracture their hocks and to not be accounted for.

Use these links as reference:

Greyhound-Data

2008 Arizona Greyhound Injury Report at Phoenix Greyhound Park & Tucson Greyhound Park (adobe acrobat required)

Tags: Arizona - Show Me the Money, Greyhound Injury by NoMoreRacing
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Update: Prop 100 passed! Racino lobbyists, promoters, and adoption groups begging their followers to vote no and to write their legislators endorsing racinos — you lose!

Arizona is in turmoil and according to one savvy female legislator, “the laughing stock of the nation” because of SB 1070, the racial profiling bill/anti illegal immigrant bill.

This reminds me of when 49 states supported Martin Luther King Day as a U.S. holiday but Arizona did not. That was a different kind of discrimination.

Arizona has a governor who graduated from a junior college and is calling the shots. But, hey, at least she’s not a wrestler (Minnesota) or body building movie star (Calif.). A certification in radiological technologist has got to be worth something on the career path to governor, right?

Then there’s the U.S. Rep. from Arizona who is telling the world to boycott the state and the boycotts are happening. The tourism bureau is not happy about that.

Arizona has approximately 95,000 state employees and they are all being urged to support proposition 100 – the temporary 1 cent tax increase. Teachers and college students and social service agencies are all urging we support the temporary 1 cent tax increase, proposition 100.

Finally, I agree with something that the Arizona Department of Racing is advocating – they are urging their employees and the people and entities they regulate to vote a resounding YES on proposition 100. At the recent April ADOR meeting, the department of racing director said his department and employees were in jeopardy if proposition 100 didn’t pass.

Apparently one greyhound rescue group in Phoenix didn’t get that memo because for months, they have been advocating for people to contact their legislators and vote in favor of the racino issue which by the way sunk like the Titanic in this legislature.

In their April 2010 newsletter sent to their email list, they say:

The countdown is now centered on the May 19th (it’s May 18) Sales Tax initiative and I would encourage you to vote “NO”. Under other circumstances I might support a sales tax increase because I feel the state needs multiple income streams but the defeat will make our alternative look even better. Either way, immediately following the election, a new bill proposing “racinos” will be presented and support for it grows each day.
What can we do – as stated, vote NO. Secondly, continue to write your legislators (see info on the website) to express your support of the racino concept. Remember they will be offering 45% revenue to the state – far more than the Indian casinos ever have to allow.

I wonder how many adopters reading this newsletter are teachers, educators, have students facing cuts, work for the state and social service agencies or receive social services, work for fire or police departments, have friends who are now elderly, hungry, and homeless?

I wonder how many supporters and people who donate money to this Phoenix adoption group are teachers or married to teachers and educators, are the parents of students facing cuts, work for the state and social service agencies, or public safety or their spouses and other family members do, or know families who are currently elderly, hungry, or homeless?

There is a couple problems with this adoption group’s thinking:

1)A bill that is introduced soon thereafter could not even become law until after the next legislative session because the current legislative session is closed.

2)The Mormons, the Christians, the family values people, the Native Americans, the dog and horse advocates and their outraged friends/family, and the liberals don’t want no stinkin’ racinos.

3)It’s just plain selfish.

4)As for the 45 percent, what makes them think people from the tony Foothills and Oro Valley or the retired senior citizens in Green Valley are going to rush to Tucson Greyhound Park to play slots? Tucson Greyhound Park is already surrounded by slick Indian gaming casinos. Why would people want to go to dumpy racetracks? When TGP had a fire last year, there were more employees than bettors on the premises.

What’s 45 percent of nothing?

Nothing!

Sounds like bad odds to me.

And most importantly, according to recent news articles, the wildly popular sport of soccer will soon be inhabiting the dying sport of greyhound racing’s venue known as Phoenix Greyhound Park.

Score!

No dogs die in soccer.

“Start by doing what is necessary, then what is possible, then suddenly you are doing the impossible” Saint Francis of Assisi – Let’s apply this to ending greyhound racing in Arizona.

Tags: Arizona - Show Me the Money, Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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