Remembering greyhounds who have senselessly lost their lives from racing

Sent to Tucson Tails from greyhound advocates across the pond:

Events are being held across the UK in memory of the greyhounds that have suffered and been put to death in the 86 years since commercial greyhound racing began in this country on July 24, 1926.

One cannot believe that in a so-called civilised society, dogs are still being killed. I believe this is a poor and sad reflection on our society  but we can as a nation change this by choosing to adopt a more ethical approach by not supporting any animal abuse or exploitation.

According to greyhound protection organisation Action for Greyhounds, as many as 10,000 greyhounds are still being “put down” every year, after failing to make the grade as racers or when their careers on the tracks come to an end.

An RSPCA report 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 addition, hundreds of greyhounds sustain serious, sometimes fatal, injuries while racing.

Greyhounds make the most wonderful companions and we urge readers to rescue a greyhound from their local greyhound rescue.

The public can help put an end to this horrific situation by not attending dog tracks or betting on greyhound racing.

For more information on the plight of the racing greyhound in the UK, visit the Action for Greyhounds websiteat and/or Greyt Exploitations.

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The Killing Fields: Here’s an article in the Daily Mail about a man named David Smith who shot 10,000 greyhounds in the head with a bolt gun before dropping the dogs into a pit and covering them with dirt. The perp says, that he had been doing society a favour by disposing of them.

“It was claimed he killed for 40 greyhound trainers and would regularly execute up to 40 dogs a day.”

Was there any punishment for his crime? Not really. Smith was prosecuted for owning a landfill site without a proper permit.

H E L P me

This is what happens when people don’t spay or neuter their dogs.

This is what happens when our legislators don’t crack down and put a stop to backyard breeder scum.

This is what happens when people buy dogs off Craig’s List.

This is what happens when someone gets a dog and thinks that it will be cute to have puppies.

There is an urgent need at Pima Animal Care Center (PACC)  today (Saturday) for a rescue to step in and commit to fostering mama dog and her pups or else they die.

PACC is full even though many of their recent campaigns have met with successful adoptions and broken records in the number of adoptions.

As of 6 p.m. on Facebook – Update: “Whew Roxanne and family have been saved thank you to In The Arms Of Angels…PLEASE donations are needed!!”

A Lab mix mom and her puppies urgently need to be moved out of PACC today.  The mom has URI (respiratory infection, likely kennel cough), and the pups are or soon will, also be infected.

PACC is full – there is no space to serve as isolation for the mom and her pups.  It is either find a rescue willing to take them, or they will be euthanized this evening.

Arms of Angels, a local rescue group, has located a foster that can take the family for the next two weeks… IF… foster homes can be found that will take them at the end of the two-week period.

If she does not line up the fosters today, she cannot take Roxanne and the pups will DIE.

From the web page: In the Arms of Angels is a 501 (c) 3 status APPROVED all breed dog rescue located in Tucson, Arizona. In the Arms of Angels works hard to save the lives of dogs that would be euthanized in overcrowded shelters all over the United States. In the Arms of Angels is 100% volunteer based. Our volunteers are very dedicated to saving the lives of as many dogs as we can. In the Arms of Angels believes that the more animal rescues work together and the further everyone goes to network the more beneficial it is for all the animals that are in need of rescuing.
Save a life, change a world.

Please circulate far and wide. Time is running out for these dogs.

Thank you

They are tiny and oh so cute but these tiny turtles with shells less than 4-inches are infecting people with various salmonella strains in multiple states (Arizona included).

Here’s what the CDC has to say a/o March 30, 2012:     (plus updates)

A total of 72 persons infected with outbreak strains of Salmonella Sandiego, Salmonella Pomona, and Salmonella Poona have been reported from 17 states.

The number of ill persons identified in each state is as follows: Arizona (2), California (12), Georgia (1), Indiana (1), Kentucky (1), Massachusetts (3), Maryland (6), Michigan (1), Minnesota (1), North Carolina (1), New Jersey (6), New Mexico (3), New York (21), Pennsylvania (7), Texas (4), Virginia (1), and Vermont (1)

12 ill persons have been hospitalized, and no deaths have been reported. 59% of ill persons are children 10 years of age or younger.

Results of the epidemiologic and environmental investigations indicate exposure to turtles or their environments (e.g., water from a turtle habitat) is the cause of these outbreaks.

Small turtles (shell length less than 4 inches) were reported by 92% of cases. Forty-three percent of ill persons with small turtles reported purchasing the turtles from street vendors.

Turtles with a shell length of less than 4 inches in size should not be purchased or given as gifts.

Keep turtles out of homes with children younger than 5 years old, elderly persons, or people with weakened immune systems.

Turtles and other reptiles should not be kept in child care centers, schools, or other facilities with children younger than 5 years old.

Click here to find out how to dispose of these tiny turtles if they are in your possession.

Children are the most likely to get salmonellosis. The rate of diagnosed infections in children less than five years old is higher than the rate in all other persons. Young children, the elderly, and the immuno-compromised are the most likely to have severe infections. It is estimated that approximately 400 persons die each year with acute salmonella.

Jamie Massey & his rescued dogs

Meet Jamie Massey. He’s a local animal advocate. Currently, his mission is to ban pet stores from selling dogs. Pet store puppies traditionally come from puppy mills. Puppy mills are for profit businesses that do mass breeding of dogs under the worst of conditions. With all the unwanted pets and animals being put to death, we don’t need no stinkin’ puppy mills or backyard breeders.

Massey also organizes protests. If you despise puppy mills and the stores that sell their puppies, consider coming to a protest by the Tucson Mall, holding a sign, and meeting like-minded people. The schedule is at the bottom of the interview.

Now more from Massey:

KZ: What is your background in animal advocacy and raising awareness about puppy mills?

JM: I’ve been involved at one level or another with every major campaign on behalf of animals in Arizona for the past 20 years: getting traps off public lands, outlawing cockfighting, passing spay/neuter laws, reforming factory farming, the dog racing fiasco in South Tucson, and puppy mills. I started organizing puppy mill protests 2 1/2 years ago after learning that at least four Tucson pet stores were getting dogs from puppy mills.

KZ: Why are you protesting Animal Kingdom?

JM: Animal Kingdom is the only pet store in Tucson that we know is still buying dogs from the Hunte Corporation of Missouri. Hunte is known as the largest broker of Midwest puppy mill puppies. Despite all of the rhetoric, there is no way they keep a handle on how 80,000 to 90,000 puppies are bred each year.

KZ: What are puppy mills?

JM: What makes a breeder a puppy miller is a matter of degree. Are the breeding females ever provided with veterinary care? Are they ever allowed out of their wire cages to exercise? Are they ever given any socialization or grooming? Are they given sufficient protection from the elements? The answer to those questions is “no” across the board for some puppy mills.

puppies in trashcans

KZ: Animal Kingdom’s website says: “Where are your puppies purchased? Our puppies are purchased only from caring private breeders. We do not support puppy mills nor any other unethical breeders. Working with strict company guidelines, our experienced buyers purchase our puppies from reputable, United States Government inspected breeders. They practice rigorous USDA cleanliness and health standards. We insist on purchasing only the highest quality companions with health being the #1 priority. We have established long term relationships with our supplies and breeders while working closely with them as part of our team.”

How can you be so sure that Animal Kingdom gets their puppies from Hunte Corporation?

JM: The manager of Animal Kingdom told me they buy dogs from the Hunte Corporation. That’s who they have a long term relationship with, not not the individual breeders in the Midwest.

KZ: What are the health problems of puppy mill dogs?

JM: The puppies sometimes suffer from problems associated with inbreeding and frequently suffer from infectious diseases which can be emotionally and financially devastating to the owners. They also tend to have separation anxiety because back in the cages their mothers are unable to get away. Those concerns though pale in contrast to the suffering of the breeding stock. The moms are why we’re out there.

KZ: What’s the difference between puppy mills and backyard breeders?

JM: In Arizona, there’s no way to know. Backyard breeders don’t have to comply with any ordinances, be licensed or inspected, or pay taxes. Buying a dog from a backyard breeder is a crap shoot.

KZ: Why are pet store dogs so expensive?

JM: I can’t answer that. Part of it may be that so many puppies die (Hunte has their own incinerator) or that they have to be transported across country. Part of it may be greed or psychology: people often assume that if the dog is expensive then it is better than an animal at the pound. They’re wrong.

KZ: Why do people buy dogs when there are so many unwanted dogs that need to be rescued right here in Tucson?

JM: I don’t think most people are moral creatures, weighing the consequences of their actions on others. Those who are react with great concern when they learn their puppy’s mother is languishing in a small, wire cage.

KZ: What can people do who want to see an end to puppy mills?

JM: They should avoid buying from pet stores. Even stores like The Puppy Place and Tropical Kingdom, who don’t buy through the Hunte Corporation and instead buy from local sources, may be buying from breeders who are as despicable as the ones in Missouri and Kansas. There’s no way to know without an on-site inspection. If the breeder tells you he’ll meet you at Walmart, then he’s probably a puppy miller. Some puppy millers have hundreds of dogs–there’s simply no way to responsibly take care of that many dogs!

Join a puppy mill protest. Here are the dates:

Friday – Nov. 25 (take a break from shopping)
Saturday – Nov. 26 (yes, the very next day)
Saturday – Dec. 3
Saturday – Dec. 10
Saturday – Dec. 17

All protests will be from 10 to 11:30 a.m. on the corner of Oracle & Wetmore.

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On another note, Westcor mall management in Phoenix/Scottsdale is severing ties with businesses that are connected to breeders. In Phoenix, pet overpopulation is an epidemic and our neighbors to the north want to do something about it. Hey Tucson…are you listening? Is Phoenix more progressive about controlling their pet population? Unfortunately, Westcor does not manage Tucson Mall where the Animal Kingdom pet store is. The Tucson Mall is managed by General Growth Properties.

Fortunately, two Tucson’s Petland locations have closed.

For a list of local rescues and shelters in Southern Arizona, go here.

(Top photo is Jamie Massey with his two rescued dogs from Hope Animal Shelter. Boone is the hound/shepherd and Merlin is the rat terrier. They grew up together and had to be rescued together.)

(Second photo is a Google image used by Start the Change.com, originally from Society for the Advancement of Animal Well-Being)

AZ Dept of Racing Annual Report 2011

Waste not; want not – Arizona Department of Racing

Interpretation: Don’t want the waste of the Arizona Department of Racing

Our Arizona lawmakers talk about government waste and claim they want an overhaul. Start here – Arizona Department of Racing.

On numerous occasions I have contacted different state legislators not just where I am a constituent and asked why Tucson Greyhound Park gets singled out for hardship tax credits. Most are incredulous at first and say they will get back to me or say that I must be mistaken. I direct them to the Arizona Department of Racing annual reports – and then never hear from them again even after repeatedly following up. Even the lawmakers claiming to be animal advocates go deaf. You know who you are.

If you care about government waste – please read through the ADOR annual report.

If you didn’t even know there was an annual report for the Arizona Department of Racing, you’re in the same sinking vessel as many of your elected officials.

Here are some highlights:

Page 1
The total pari-mutuel handle for all wagering was $169 million, a decrease…

Page 2
By far the greatest highlight for the Department and its leadership this past year was of significant achievement legislatively to transition to total “self funding” over the next two years (paraphrasing – and to take the pressure off of the scarce General Fund during these trying economic times…)

Translation: The General Fund has been financing the Arizona Department of Racing’s budget for far too many years.

Page 1 a
Read about the Department of Racing commissioners in particular Thomas Kelly, DVM.

Page 2
The primary mission of the AZ Department of Racing is to regulate and supervise pari-mutuel horse and greyhound racing and wagering conducted in Arizona in order to protect racing participants and the wagering public. In addition, the Department regulates and supervises boxing and mixed martial arts events conducted in Arizona to protect participants in these events.

Note: Who are the racing participants? If you have ever gone to one of the monthly Arizona Department of Racing meetings, the words “greyhound welfare” is never mentioned. The horse jockeys are also under great stress to perform whether the turf is safe or not. This puzzles me – “to protect racing participants” – as to who that might be?

Page 5
Teletracking (off track betting) – The total handle generated by commercial and county fair racing for teletracking was $125.7 million. This included $103.1 million for horse racing and $22.6 million for greyhound racing.

Page 11
Racehorse Adoption
The Department provides grants to non-profit organizations to promote the adoption of retired racehorses in Arizona. The funds for this program are generated from a surcharge against all civil penalties assessed in connection with horse racing in Arizona. The program went into effect in 2005 and the first award was made in 2006.
Performance Measures FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011
Number of grants awarded 1 1 1
Amount of grants awarded $1,647 $1,244 $1,483

Page 12
ADOR is rather stingy when it comes to horse adoption grants especially since the total amount of pari-mutuel earnings is $120,778,307. Turf Paradise doesn’t get a hardship tax credit and paid $284,804 for state pari-mutuel revenues (2011).

Page 21 – ADOR is stingier with the greyhound adoption grants
The Department provides grants to non-profit organizations to promote the adoption of retired racing greyhounds as domestic pets. This fund receives 100% of all fees collected from licensing greyhound racing kennels, breeding farms and other operations where greyhounds are raised for racing purposes.

In FY 2009, the fund received $0.
Performance Measures FY 2009 FY 2010 FY 2011
Number of grants awarded 0 3 2
Amount of grants awarded $0 $375 $600

Page 25
Greyhound Racing – Tucson Greyhound Park
DISTRIBUTION OF REVENUES 2011
Returned to Wagering Public $12,361,949
State Pari-Mutuel Revenues $0 (ditto for the past 5 years and since 1995)
Track Commission – $3,265,829

Hardship Tax Credit – $472,604 (for 5 years TGP has received $1.6 million)
Total Track Revenues $3,773,306

The report gives the figures from 2007 but I’ve only listed 2011. The fiscal year is July 1, 2010 through June 30, 2011.

Raise your hand if you are a small business and get a hardship tax credit too?

Raise your hand if you are a business and pay no income to the state of Arizona on your earnings?

Why does Tucson dog track have that special compensation? And they have had it since 1995…Ask your elected officials.

Page 28
Arizona Department of Racing has a $4.2 MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET.

$2.7 MILLION DOLLARS COMES FROM THE GENERAL FUND. Where does the rest of the money come from? Read the annual report.

The General Fund subsidizes the Arizona Department of Racing. If this isn’t government waste – then what is?

Next time your elected officials tell you there’s no money for this and that – tell them to go read the ADOR annual report. The General Fund is supposed to fund some of our basic necessities like education and Medicaid but instead it throws money at the Department of Racing.

And if it’s happening with ADOR – where else is it happening?

Cherished Florida Greyhound

Perhaps the greyhound community can breathe a sigh of relief knowing that one Florida greyhound kennel operator has to serve 5 years in jail for mass animal cruelty.

While I’m thrilled that he just didn’t get a slap on the wrist like many animal cruelty cases, I am also saddened by knowing that he murdered 37 racing greyhounds by starvation and asphyxiation. Five greyhounds survived.

Among greyhound adopters, advocates, and even racing industry insiders, Ronnie Williams will always be known as the duct tape killer. His blatantly egregious and deliberate deeds call attention to what is so wrong with dog racing – the lack of accountability.

Picture this: The racing season is over. (In some states dog racing is seasonal; unfortunately, not in Tucson where dogs race when it’s 100+ degrees.) Nobody at Ebro Greyhound Park is minding the store. Management says that the kennel operators are responsible for their dogs. Of course, in a perfect world, the kennel operators are responsible for their dogs but dog racing is nowhere near a perfect world.

“Veterinarians who performed the necropsies found the remaining dogs perished from denial of food and water beginning on or near Oct. 1, 2010, and lasting until they were found or had died. Three of the dogs also had duct tape around their necks, suggesting they may not have been able to breathe properly. The dogs perished through absolute starvation.”

–Where is the oversight?

–Are there no security guards walking around?

–Does one kennel operator turn a deaf ear and blind eye to another kennel operator?

–Is there no checklist for monitoring and following up of dogs?

How does one degenerate kill dozens of dogs and nobody notices until it’s too late?

At first Williams tried to plea bargain saying that his family needed him but that went nowhere. Now he pleaded guilty and is sentenced. His racing license has also been revoked.

This ugly case drew worldwide attention, none of it good. Thank you to everyone who wrote letters to the presiding judge and prosecutors, showed up in court, and for the Florida rescue group who took in the surviving dogs.

(Photo is courtesy of Cyndi Rennick of her beautiful heart dog Sweetie Pie.)