Another year passed and more injured and dead greyhounds racing for their lives.

While there has been good news for some greyhounds, many continue to race in Tucson well past their prime.

For instance, let’s start with:

AK’s Toureg who has raced 216 races and CDC Make Me Stop has raced 220 races.

How many more times do these dogs have to race before they break a leg or a hock or collide or have a heart attack?

Their moneymaking days are over.

Here are the people who are squeezing every last drop of blood out of these poor dogs:

AK’s Toureg – kennel  - Cliff Hale – owned by Stephen Valletta

CDC Make me Stop – kennel – Willard Eyler  – owned by Debra Chitwood

Are there no racing statutes or rules to protect these dogs?  Let’s kick the Arizona Department of Racing to the curb and combine it with the Dept. of Gaming for all the good it does these dogs.

Here’s a sad story – (as seen on Facebook) a dog that left Tucson dog track who was on the way to his forever home / adoption group was found to have osteosarcoma…advanced osteo. End of story. He raced until he died of bone cancer.

Why is it that only racing greyhounds get osteosarcoma and not their AKC counter parts? Why? I’ll tell you why…because of the inbreeding. Bad blood and bad genes repeat itself over and over. That sounds stupid to me but hey, well, let’s leave sleeping dogs lie.

But enough crap about the racing industry. It stinks. And always will.

I want to thank the rescue groups who help clean up the mess left by the racing industry. It is the adoption groups who fix the broken leg dogs (some of the adoption groups fix broken leg dogs; other adoption groups don’t or won’t). Adoption groups fund all the meds & veterinarian fees needed to give these so-deserving dogs another chance at a life they so rightly deserve.

And in Florida where there are 13 damn dog tracks,  dogs were given termite insecticide as a flea treatment in Dayton Beach. Can you imagine? If pesticides were supposed to be used for fleas, don’t you think the rest of us would be using it? According to this article an employee reported it but got fired for his concern and earlier, “”It’s an industry standard,” Francati said. “A lot of kennels use the Termidor product because it’s cheaper and gives dogs less chemicals.”

An industry standard. Wow!

Like giving the dogs RAW 4D meat.  It’s cheaper.  That’s how much these bleeding heart kennel operators love their dogs – dousing them with pesticides and feeding them raw road kill.

These dogs are vehicles to make $$$ and nothing more. I told you the racing industry stinks.

For the top 10 greyhound stories for 2011, view this.

I am blessed to be surrounded by my two retired racing greyhounds (whose racing names are ancient history) plus a visiting greyhound. When I look into their eyes and they put their sweet faces in my lap for trusting pets – I know that they are the lucky ones and I cry for those who are not.

Tags: Greyhound Racing, Greyhound Racing - TUCSON (TGP), Nationwide Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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GREY2K USA is a national non-profit organization working to pass laws to protect greyhounds.

Since its formation in 2001, it has helped close 26 tracks from one end of the country to the other, and has prevented the introduction of dog racing to Jamaica and South Africa.

In October 2011, GREY2K USA re-filed a joint greyhound bill with dog track owners to drastically reduce the cruelty of greyhound racing in Florida.  HB 641/SB 382 removes the legal requirement that dog track licensees conduct live racing.  By law, the holders of dog track licenses must offer at least 100 days of live racing each year. But while track owners make money from other activities, they tend to lose money on dog racing.

So now, track owners and greyhound advocates are working together to sever this requirement or “decouple the live racing mandate,” from law.  Track owners want to save dollars and activists want to save the dogs.

You can take action to help greyhounds now:

1. Learn more about the progress of the campaign on GREY2K USA’s dedicated Florida page.
2. Call your lawmakers right away and ask them to support HB 641/SB 382, the “Greyhound Decoupling Bill.”  You can find your state representative and state senator here:
3. Stay informed by joining GREY2KUSA’s online alert list.  Sign up here.

There are still 13 greyhound race tracks in Florida. Do something about it!  Please link to this blog post, share on Facebook, and blog about it. Your voices do make a difference.

Tags: Greyhound Racing, Nationwide Greyhound Racing, Speak Out Against Greyhound Racing by NoMoreRacing
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This makes me want to puke. This reaches into the core of what is the most despicable about greyhound racing.

Here are two greyhounds who were injured in 2008 according to the industry injury report and they are STILL racing at Tucson dog track.

CDC Make Me Stop
She last raced on Dec 10, 2011 – That was her 216th race

She turned 5 years old in October.

Kennel:  Will Eyler            Owner:  Debra Chitwood

Make her stop already! Who’s at fault here? Will Eyler or the dog’s owner Debra Chitwood? Or perhaps the Arizona Department of Racing?

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

What is Tucson dog track – a third world country?

———————-

AK’s Toureg
She last raced on Dec 8, 2011 -That was her 211th race

She will turn 6 5 years old next month!!!

In addition to having an injury in 2008, Toureg fell in the homestretch and finished out of the photo on Feb 6, 2010.

Since that time she has run 133 races. Toureg runs the short races because she cannot make it around the entire track. Yes, they have short races for the dogs who cannot make it around the entire track. Yes, they squeeze the last drop of life out of these dogs so somebody can make some money.

Kennel:  Cliff Hale        Owner:  Stephen Valletta

The same owner, Valetta, previously had a dog named AK’s Fruitcake who raced 326 times.

These greyhounds deserve better. All dogs deserve better than life at the track especially here in Tucson. Toureg needs to retire immediately to a soft bed and a couch not to a breeding farm.

In case you missed it, here’s the video of what conditions are really like at Tucson dog track. It ain’t no Taj Mahal.

Also,why doesn’t Arizona Department of Racing monitor the dogs’ ages or number of races . .  it’s not like Arizona Department of Racing or the State of Arizona is making any tax revenues on these dogs’ winnings.  Can you believe it? The state agency Arizona Department of Racing is still being subsidized by you and me, Joe and Jane tax payer. With all the wagering and betting, the dog track has a hardship tax credit and has since 1995. What other businesses don’t pay taxes to the state on its earnings?

Tags: Greyhound Racing, Greyhound Racing - TUCSON (TGP) by NoMoreRacing
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The good news is…there is no good news.

The bad news is that a global corporation didn’t do its research. With all your marketing collaborations – what were you thinking when you opted to film a commercial at what appears to be a dumpy dog track?  Is your product dumpy?

Maybe you should be humanitarian of the year along with Michael Vick, Jeffrey Dahmer, and Ronnie Williams.

Obviously, you haven’t seen the light of day or any headlines to know that dog racing is gross animal cruelty.

Do you know how many racing greyhounds die every year from dog racing?

Do you know how many racing greyhounds live kenneled in the dark with their muzzles on day in and day out?

Do you know how many racing greyhounds disappear every year?

At the track where you filmed your commercial, more than 150 dogs disappeared between 2005 – 2006 never to be found. WTF happened to those dogs?

How many pets of yours live or ever will live like racing greyhounds?  Do you feed your pets RAW 4D meat made from dead, dying, diseased, and disabled animals? Why are there no commercials for 4D dog food on TV?

Do you inject your female dogs with anabolic steroids on an ongoing basis so they suffer perpetual UTI infections?

Do you over breed your dogs so one sire may have 10,000 offspring perpetuating the osteosarcoma gene for generations of dogs? Oddly enough, AKC greyhounds (non racing greyhounds) do not suffer from osteosarcoma.

So, your shoes are fast.

Can’t your creative department come up with a commercial that doesn’t glorify animal cruelty?

Imagine if one of the marathon runners wearing Skechers suffered a broken leg on the run. Would he or she be euthanized? Why not? That’s what happens to plenty of racing greyhounds.

You may be uninformed but a large part of the demographic who wears your shoes grew up on Animal Planet. They are hip to the cruelty of greyhound racing.

Skechers stock has fallen since last year. It was as high as $24 and has fallen to $13. Promoting animal cruelty won’t help your brand.  Animal lovers and advocates make purchases based on their belief systems – greyhound racing kills.

It’s not too late to change your mind and do the right thing.

Sign the Change.org petition asking Skechers not to promote animal cruelty during the Super Bowl.

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