On January 6, 2011, I wrote how many times dogs are racing around Tucson Greyhound Park. FYI: It’s not a really a park. Parks are relatively nice places. This is not.

One dog AK’s Fruitcake turned 5 years old on Dec. 8, 2010. She has now raced 305 times. Herein is one of the many problems with dog racing. There are no greyhound welfare standards as to how long dogs can run.

Do the race dogs run until they collide? Collapse? Break their hock? Die?

Not all the dogs in this list are old but these dogs are tired; these dogs have fallen; these dogs have collided; these dogs have been jammed and faded (their words not mine).  Why must losers continue to race? Why? Why? Why? Because of selfish greed and lack of accountability. Greyhound racing has never been less humane than dog fighting or cock fighting.  Doesn’t anybody give  a #&%$ about these Tucson racing dogs?!

Note: Unless specified, the regular race at TGP is 550 yards. The shorter race is 316 yards. If you have any of these dogs that I’m wondering about, email endtucsongreyhoundracing@yahoo.com and I will update this blog post.

Rebell Riley        DOB 1/06/09        25 races        Hale Kennel
12/17    bumped 1st turn
12/22    no factor
12/29    bumped 1st turn
1/03    pulled up backstretch  – not on clock
No more races – where is this dog?

Cookie Clover        DOB 8/08/06       207  now 213 races    Hale Kennel    (Owner:  Roy A. Cook)
12/22    bumped 1st turn
12/28    no threat
12/31    jammed early – came in last
1/04    blocked 1st turn – came in last
On schedule to race 1/07
1/07    never varied
1/11    no mishaps
1/15    despite bumped 1st turn
1/20    no factor
1/25    faded backstretch
1/28 hit first turn
Cookie is almost 4 1/2 years old. Time for her to be a couch potato.

Red I Taps           DOB  3/29/07               150  now  156 races    Eyler Kennel   (Owner:  Rex Redden)
12/23    fell 1st turn, not on clock
12/29    blocked front stretch – out of photo
1/03    dropped back early – came in last
On schedule to race 1/07
1/07    held gamely, mid track
1/11    not a contender
1/14    trouble first turn
1/18    had early trouble
1/22    lost race duel – SHORT RACE
1/27    jammed first, no rally

Sicilian Sal        DOB  5/11/07        176  now 179 races     Gray Kennel
12/27    factor until late
12/31    bumped first turn – came in last
1/04    collided first turn
1/12    early factor, faded
1/22    early factor, tired
1/26    little change
Mary, why is Sicilian Sal running if he’s faded and tired, oh so tired? Are you waiting for him to fall down and not get up?

Flea’s Aesop        DOB: 1/02/08       114  now 121 races    Eyler Kennel
12/27    blocked first, no rally
12/30    bumped first turn
1/03    faded badly – came in last
1/08    not far behind – SHORT RACE
1/12    brief factor, faded
1/15    bumped 1st turn
1/19    faded homestretch
1/22    best of the rest
1/26    not a threat
1/29    brief leader, inside

AK’s Fruitcake    DOB  12/08/05 (5+ years old) 300   NOW 305 races!  -  Eyler Kennel
12/16    dropped back early                                                                                 (owner:  StephenValletta)
12/20     collided first turn
12/27    lost ground early
12/30    bumped first turn
1/03    dropped back early
On schedule to race 1/06
1/06    weakened backstretch
1/19    little gain – SHORT RACE
1/22    threat to stretch
1/26    set pace early, mid track
1/29    even effort
Set Fruitcake free and give her to a RESCUE group.

Koyote Rikki        DOB 3/01/08      116 races    Eyler Kennel
12/08    bumped front stretch
12/13    early factor, faded
12/21    fell first turn
12/28    Scratched  -  Where is this dog?

CDC Make Me Stop    DOB: 10/11/06     150 now 155  races        Eyler  Kennel    (Owner:  Debra Chitwood)
was on the 2008 injury list    10/08/08 as  lame (dog still racing)
12/21    not a factor
12/27    pulled up early – off the clock
1/01    trailed 8th – schooling – half race
1/12    lost ground early – SHORT RACE
1/15    weakened in turn – SHORT RACE
1/19    dropped back early – SHORT RACE
1/22    varied little – SHORT RACE
1/27    always back (long race)
On schedule for 1/31

Mississippi Mule    DOB:  6/15/07     150 races    Eyler  Kennel  (Owner:  Robert Clark)
was  on 2008 injury list   11/25/08 dislocation of right toe
Look what’s been going on with him for the past few months
10/02    full race        always back
10/10    full race       poor effort
10/16    short race    no mishaps
10/20    shortl race    no mishaps
10/27    full race       trouble first turn
11/13    shortl race    held safe lead
11/17    full race        faded throughout
11/20    full race        bumped early
11/24    full race        bumped first, no rally
11/27    short race    up for place
12/06    short race    steady fade
12/09    full race        gave way late
12/14    full race        outrun badly, homestretch
12/22    short race    evenly for show
1/01    short race    early effort
On schedule for short race on 1/06
1/06    no threat – SHORT RACE
1/12    blocked homestretch – SHORT RACE
1/19    steady fade – SHORT RACE
What happened to MM?

Supah Clean        DOB  2/14/09    26  now 28 races    Gray Kennel (Owner:  Cochran Greyhoundz)
These are all short races:
11/12    no threat
11/18   jammed in turn
11/23    faded some
11/29    always back
12/06    steady pace
12/11    blocked early
12/15    collided in turn
12/21    bumped in turn
12/30    never in it
On schedule short race on 1/06
1/06    weakened in turn – SHORT RACE
1/12    blocked in turn – SHORT RACE
Where is this dog?

Fast Az Phelps    DOB  5/29/07    150  now 152 races    Eyler  Kennel
11/22    trouble first turn
11/26    not prominent
12/02    blocked first turn
12/06    no factor
12/11    no factor
12/17    no factor
12/21    no threat
12/28     scratched
1/22    no threat – SHORT RACE
1/26    trailed – SHORT RACE
Fast, he’s not. The dog should be retired to a RESCUE group.

Skate Smyth        DOB 9/25/08    22  now 26 races       Fune Kennel
12/21    brief try, faded
12/28    scratched
1/12    just held place midtrack
1/18    jammed first turn – off the clock
1/21    trouble first turn
1/25    hit first turn
1/29    just missed, wide

UCME Get Smart       DOB 10/10/08       45 races       Hale
12/08    steady decline
12/13    lost ground early
12/17    faded badly far turn
12/21    early threat, faded
12/27    scratched
Where is Get Smart dog?

Greyt Sky        DOB    1/19/07    135 races    Dog is owned by breeder Larry Knott, Gilbert, AZ)
12/23    pulled up early – off the clock
1/12    pulled up early – SHORT RACE
1/15    pulled up early – SHORT RACE
Where is Greyt Sky dog?

Koyote Reba        DOB 3/01/08    105 races    Eyler Kennel
11/06    little gain
11/11    always varied
11/19    bumped first turn
11/24    no factor
11/29    little effort
12/04    back early
12/09    steady decline
12/13    gradual fade
12/17    varied little
12/21    no factor
12/27    no factor
Not scheduled to race – 10 days – where is Kyote Reba?

You can check out these stats yourself through Track Info.

Amazingly, there is HB 2536 in the Arizona legislature that could end live greyhound racing at the Tucson dog track. If it ends the confinement, 4-D meat, collisions, electrocutions, paralysis, broken hocks, steroid injections, missing dogs, injured dogs, and dead dogs…I’m all for it.

Tags: Arizona - Show Me the Money, Greyhound Racing, Greyhound Racing - TUCSON (TGP), Speak Out Against Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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Kudos to Greyhound Action, a greyhound protection group in the UK, for protesting outside Owlerton Stadium.

Two year old Royal Raider suffered a serious break to one of her front legs after colliding with several other dogs at the first bend. Royal Raider died the following day, despite veterinary treatment.

In fact, all greyhound tracks are inherently lethal, because their oval shape, with fast straights leading into tight bends, creates a very dangerous environment for dogs to run in, leading to thousands of injuries to greyhounds, many of them serious, occurring every year in Britain…the same can be said in the United States.

An RSPCA report on greyhound racing has stated that ‘at least 20 Greyhounds a day – either puppies which do not make the track, or retired dogs aged three or four – simply disappear, presumed killed’ (in the UK)

If there was an loud uproar every time a dog died in the United States, our tracks would be long boarded up and made into shopping centers.

Every time a racing greyhounds dies at a U.S. track it should be on the front page of the sports section.

Also dead racing greyhounds should be announced on the TODAY show. Every racing dog that dies should be announced just like that old dude Wilbur announces all the folks who turn 100.

Maybe if the public knew how often this poor race dogs died here in the U.S. and abroad, it would be the end of this dying sport.

Michael Vick’s dogs have a public face. What about dead racing greyhounds who have died senselessly for greed and profit?

Here’s an interesting blog that is starting to put the story of dead racing greyhounds in people’s faces.

“At six and a half years of age, Amy Jo was still running for her life.

At six and a half years old, Amy Jo ran her 258th, and final race.

On January 22, 2005, this little red brindle girl severely fractured her left hock, and she was euthanized.

The injury report included the following description of the injury:
“piece of bone protruding from leg”

After hundreds of races, Amy Jo suffered a terrible, painful injury, and then she was killed.”

This is happening in the United States. We are a third-world country when it comes to greyhound racing standards.

Why are there no standards for how long a dog can run?

Tags: Greyhound Injury, Greyhound Racing, International Greyhound Racing, Nationwide Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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Yesterday – January 15, 2011 – animal rights activists and concerned citizens from Prescott, Phoenix, Green Valley, and Tucson took a stand against greyhound racing abuse.

Eighteen adults and one 10 year old boy stood proudly carrying signs in front of a  bar & grill that offers off-track-betting on Speedway Blvd. Off-track-betting or OTB props up the cruel and dying sport of dog racing.

Cars drove by slowly to read all the signs. Hundreds of cars honked or did thumbs up for approval.

Across the street from our protest is a wildly popular restaurant which always has a line which means protesters have a built in audience.  A soccer team of 10 year old girls was part of our cheering section. I see young activists in the making – one of the protesters took them some fliers which they proudly held up before they were called into the restaurant.

Thank you to all the dedicated people who came out to give ANTI greyhound racing a voice.

As long as there is dog racing in Tucson, there will be protests. Educate yourself about what’s happening in Arizona regarding dog racing advocacy. Find out how you can get involved.

(photos: courtesy Eric Adam)

Tags: Greyhound Racing, Greyhound Racing - TUCSON (TGP), Speak Out Against Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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This photo was taken 3 or 4 years ago at Congress on the Corner in front of a Safeway on Tucson’s east side.

Congress woman Gabrielle Giffords was kind enough to pose with Buddy the Greyhound. Buddy was fresh off the track; he raced 177 times. Buddy has since gone to the Rainbow Bridge. He died from sarcoma of the eye.

Giffords shared with us that she used to own a greyhound and what wonderful dogs they were.

Not only are Tucsonans shocked by today’s shootings; those shots were heard around the world. Sheriff Clarence Dupnik said that Arizona is the mecca for prejudice and bigotry.

Though not just Arizona.

Kudos to Paul Krugman, New York Times columnist, “…But violent acts are what happen when you create a climate of hate.  And it’s long past time for the GOP’s leaders to take a stand against the hate-mongers.”

Time to pull the plug on the Rush Limbaughs and Glenn Becks. And since Sarah Palin can see Russia from her house, let’s give her a swift kick in that direction.

Our society is so broken. I cannot fathom how we can fix it.

The victims and their families are in our thoughts and prayers.

(photo: courtesy Diana Hansen)

Tags: Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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Subject: 5 year old dog racing at Tucson Greyhound Park – races 300 times

Question: How do you tell when a dog track is the end of the line?

Answer: When tired dogs are run and rerun who come in last over and over but are still racing for their lives.

One dog – AK’s Fruitcake – turned 5 on December 8, 2010 and will have raced 300 times as of tonight!

Is that a crime? It should be.

According to this KOLD-TV investigative segment , the GM of Tucson Greyhound Park said the dogs are treated well. They’re not treated so well that the GM would keep his pet there. If they were treated well, for starters these kennel operators would retire them.

In this recent article in the Arizona Daily Star, General Manager Tom Taylor says, “The dogs when they are on the track, in the kennel, they are taken care of wonderfully,” he said.  Running a 5+ year old dog 300 times is not our idea of wonderful.

Are there no NGA (National Greyhound Association), AGC (American Greyhound Council) or ADOR (Arizona Department of Racing) standards for greyhound welfare regarding age requirements?

Tucson Greyhound Park is no better that the third world country Guam when it comes to racing old dogs. (Correction: Guam is a U.S. territory but when the Guam dog track closed, dogs were just given away like kittens on the corner. Dogs raced into old age.)  At least the Guam lawmakers have come to their senses and voted to ban the cruel sport of greyhound racing on Guam again. Guam lawmakers trump Arizona lawmakers.

What you’re about to read was taken from Track Info website over a period of 14 days. As you can see these dogs are not winners and they can barely make it around the track and yet they are forced to race… for their lives.

Note: Unless specified, the regular race at TGP is 550 yards. The shorter race is 316 yards.

Rebell Riley                DOB 1/06/09   25 races          Kennel: Hale

12/17   bumped 1^st turn

12/22   no factor

12/29   bumped 1^st turn

1/03     pulled up backstretch – not on clock

Cookie Clover                        DOB 8/08/06   207 races        Kennel: Hale  (Owner:  Roy A. Cook)

12/22   bumped 1^st turn

12/28   no threat

12/31   jammed early – came in last

1/04     blocked 1^st turn – came in last

On schedule to race 1/07

Red I Taps                 DOB 3/29/07   150 races        Kennel:   Eyler (Owner:  Rex Redden)

12/23   fell 1^st turn, not on clock

12/29   blocked front stretch – out of photo

1/03     dropped back early – came in last

On schedule to race 1/07

Sicilian Sal                  DOB 5/11/07   176 races        Kennel: Gray

12/27   factor until late

12/31   bumped 1^st turn – came in last

1/04     collided 1^st turn

Flea’s Aesop               DOB 1/02/08   114 races        Kennel:  Eyler

12/27   blocked 1^st, no rally

12/30   bumped 1^st turn

1/03     faded badly – came in last

300 races – 300 races – 300 races – 300 races – 300 races – 300 races – 300 races – 300 races – &%$#

AK’s Fruitcake           DOB 12/08/05 Kennel:          Eyler    (owner – Stephen Valleta)

12/16   dropped back early                                                    

12/20   collided 1^st turn

12/27   lost ground early

12/30   bumped 1^st turn

1/03     dropped back early

On schedule to race 1/06 – 300 times. This hound raced approx every 3rd or 4th day, except for Dec 20 to 27 when TGP was closed for three days.  She’s being raced more often than once a week.

Koyote Rikki DOB 3/01/08   116 races        Kennel:  Eyler

12/08   bumped frontstretch

12/13   early factor, faded

12/21   fell 1^st turn

12/28   scratched – Where is this dog?

CDC Make Me Stop DOB 10/11/06            150 races        Kennel:  Eyler  (Owner:  Debra Chitwood)

2008 injury list    10/08/08 lame

12/21   not a factor

12/27   pulled up early – off the clock

1/01     trailed 8^th place – shorter race

This dog appeared as “lame” on the 2008 injury list and is still racing.

Mississippi Mule        DOB 6/15/07   150 races        Kennel:  Eyler            (Owner:  Robert Clark)

2008 injury list   11/25/08 dislocation, right toe

Look what’s been going on with this greyhound for the past few months

10/02   full race                       always back

10/10   full race                       poor effort

10/16   shorter race no mishaps

10/20   shorter race no mishaps

10/27   full race                       trouble 1^st turn

11/13   shorter race held safe lead

11/17   full race                       faded throughout

11/20   full race                       bumped early

11/24   full race                       bumped 1^st, no rally

11/27   shorter race up for place

12/06   shorter race steady fade

12/09   full race                       gave way late

12/14   full race                       outrun badly, homestretch

12/22   shorter race evenly for show

1/01     shorter race early effort

On schedule for 1/06            shorter race

This dog was on the injury list on Nov. 25, 2008 with a dislocated right toe and he’s still racing!

Mississippi Mule needs to retire NOW!

Supah Clean              DOB 2/14/09   26 races          Kennel: Gray (Owner:  Cochran Greyhoundz)

These are all shorter races – 316 yards:

11/12   no threat

11/18   jammed in turn

11/23   faded some

11/29   always back

12/06   steady pace

12/11   blocked early

12/15   collided in turn

12/21   bumped in turn

12/30   never in it

On schedule for 1/06 – shorter race

Fast Az Phelps           DOB 5/29/07  150 races        Kennel:  Eyler

11/22   trouble 1^st turn

11/26   not prominent

12/02   blocked 1^st turn

12/06   no factor

12/11   no factor

12/17   no factor

12/21   no threat

12/28   scratched – Where is this dog?

Skate Smyth               DOB 9/25/08   22 races          Kennel: Fune

12/21   brief try, faded

12/28   scratched – Where is this dog?

UCME Get Smart     DOB 10/10/08            45 races Kennel: Hale

12/08   steady decline

12/13   lost ground early

12/17   faded badly far turn

12/21   early threat, faded

12/27   scratched – Where is this dog?

Greyt Sky                   DOB 1/19/07    135 races        Kennel: ?  Breeder: Larry Knott

12/23            pulled up early – off the clock – Where is this dog?

Koyote Reba              DOB 3/01/08    105 races        Kennel:  Eyler

11/06   little gain

11/11   always varied

11/19   bumped 1^st turn

11/24   no factor

11/29   little effort

12/04   back early

12/09   steady decline

12/13   gradual fade

12/17   varied little

12/21   no factor

12/27   no factor

Not scheduled to race – 10 days – Where is this dog?

The above is just a sampling of animal cruelty.

What can you do about this blight of a race track in South Tucson?

1.      Print  this article or email the URL  your favorite news reporter or anchor person on TV and request they cover the story about greyhound racing injuries at Tucson Greyhound Park.

2.      Contact to your legislators and Governor Jan Brewer and tell them why live dog racing in Arizona must end.

3.      Schedule appointments with your legislators when they’re in Tucson and tell them face-to-face why live dog racing must end.

4.      Receive alerts from GREY2K USA about what’s happening and how you can get involved in helping to end greyhound racing in Pima County.

5.      Link this page to your Facebook and Twitter

Tags: Greyhound Injury, Greyhound Racing, Greyhound Racing - TUCSON (TGP), Speak Out Against Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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