Racing To The End
By Sandra Rees-Bowen
“...any greyhound used for greyhound
racing which is to be put to death [is] to be put to death by
lethal injection.” Bill HB37 (Alabama), passed June 16,
2003.
Harshly clinical as this may sound, this
law was passed on humanitarian grounds, as an attempt to stop
the trend of the brutal killing of greyhounds who have outlived
their racing usefulness, been injured or displayed a definite
lack of racing talent.
In May of 2002, The New York Times ran
a story about an individual who had been disposing unwanted
greyhounds for 40 years. According to the Associated Press,
“State officials obtained a warrant...to search 18 acres...after
receiving a tip and looking at satellite images that showed
animals' bones strewn about the property.”
The story was also picked up by Brett
Norman of the Pensacola News Journal who wrote, “The investigation
began in early May when Pensacola Greyhound Track Racing Director
Albert Kelson caught wind of a rumor that dogs were being slaughtered
in Lillian.”
Approximately 3000 greyhound remains
were found on the property of a former racetrack security guard.
Investigators believed that not all dogs died instantly, but
suffered terribly before they died.
The four individuals who were charged
with the deaths of the greyhounds were brought up on criminal
charges and face a maximum of ten years in prison and a $5,000
fine.
Senate Representative James Buskey of
Alabama introduced Bill HB37 on February 25, 2003. In Section
1 of HB37, it states, “The intent of the Legislature [is]
that animals that participate in greyhound racing...and animals
that are bred and trained for greyhound racing [must] be treated
humanely, both on and off the racetrack, throughout the lives
of the animals.”
Then it goes on to say in Section 2 of
the same bill, “A greyhound bred, trained, or used for
greyhound racing may not be put to death by any means other
than lethal injections.”
HB37 does specifically spell out how
racing greyhounds should be eliminated. Yet, I have to wonder
if greyhound owners will pay a licensed veterinarian to get
rid of their expendable greyhounds? Or, will some greyhound
owners continue to have their dogs disposed of by the cheapest
way possible in an effort to save money in an industry which
is rapidly losing favor with the general public? For the law
is only as good as its enforcement, and the industry will have
to be monitored and policed for the law to have any effect at
all.
(For more greyhound racing facts, go
to the Humane Society of the United States website at www.hsus.org.)
