|
To
read recent news reports on this issue,
please visit Greyhound Network News at http://www.greyhoundnetworknews.org/
Recent
News:
According
to recent news reports, the Arizona Department of Racing on
Dec. 19 revoked Colorado greyhound hauler Rick Favreau's license,
while also banning him for life from greyhound racing in the
state of Arizona.
Department
of Racing director Geoffrey Gonsher wrote in his ruling: "The
assumption is that the animals may have been killed for profit,"
citing a lack of information from Favreau and Tucson Greyhound
Park to prove otherwise. Favreau has a right to appeal the
ruling.
The
racing department also ordered Favreau to contribute $140,000
to a greyhound adoption agency and serve 700 hours of community
service with an animal-rights or adoption group. Collecting
will be difficult, however, because the department has limited
powers, particularly since Favreau is in Colorado.
Favreau
has yet to pay a $1,000 fine levied several months ago by
the Phoenix Greyhound Park Board of Stewards. He has disconnected
his phone, according to news reports.
The
racing department has been able to confirm at least 140 greyhounds
as missing, but greyhound advocates put this number as high
as 177-192 dogs.
Background:
Richard
Favreau, the Colorado hauler under investigation by the Arizona
Department of Racing for 100-200 greyhounds missing from Tucson
Greyhound Park, has been fined $1,000 and his license suspended
for 60 days. This is the maximum penalty the department's
Board of Stewards could make, but the board also sent a recommendation
to racing department director Geoffrey Gonsher for Favreau's
license revocation.
After
two separate hearings (Oct. 4 and Oct. 18), Favreau was unable
to provide documentation, including the racing names and ear
tattoo numbers of approximately 192 racing dogs that he hauled
out of Tucson Greyhound Park. Favreau reportedly transported
the dogs at a cost of $150 per dog, which is above the market
average of about $60 per dog.
Favreau,
who was contracted by the track to remove the dogs from the
kennel compound, said he had yellow slips and vaccination
records for the dogs on the first two hauls, but claimed he
had not been given any paperwork on the dogs in several subsequent
hauls. He claimed 40-50 dogs were returned to their owners,
but could not provide any verification. He could not provide
written statements from adoption groups or individuals to
whom he claimed he had given the greyhounds.
The
investigation was opened in response to a complaint filed
by the Greyhound Protection League (GPL), which alleges that
retired greyhounds had not been transferred to Colorado adoption
groups, despite repeated claims to the contrary by TGP management.
The complaint is posted at www.greyhounds.org/gpl/contents/reward/
The
investigation is not yet complete and a ruling from the director
is likely to take 60 days. The director, whose ruling is final,
has the option of increasing the fine. Favreau can appeal
the director's ruling to the Arizona Racing Commission.
In
an Oct. 20 Arizona Daily Star news article, Susan Netboy,
president of the California-based Greyhound Protection League,
said, "It leaves me to conclude that the Arizona racing
regulations are so ineffective as to encourage animal abuse
even when the department is making a concerted effort to hold
people accountable."
The
Favreau hearing was taped, and copies can be obtained under
a public records request to the Arizona Department of Racing.
Request forms are available online at www.azracing.gov
or by calling the department at (602) 364-1700.
Background:
According
to GPL President Susan Netboy, the allegations of missing
dogs from Tucson have been circulating among greyhound advocates
since winter. Netboy said the disappearances occurred during
multiple hauls from Tucson to Colorado. "The greyhounds
did not arrive at their destination, to the best of our knowledge."
None of the Colorado adoption groups contacted by advocates
has acquired Tucson dogs.
GPL is offering up to $1,000 for information leading to the
recovery of the dogs. The bi-lingual reward posters began
appearing in South Tucson in early September.
Netboy
and Joan Eidinger, publisher of Greyhound Network News,
have raised concerns about the Tucson track for more than
a decade. TGP is widely known as an end-of-the-line track.
Racing dogs that end their careers at the South Tucson track
have nowhere left to run.
Mike
Brimmer, the state's chief steward at TGP, estimated that
20-25 dogs need to be adopted each month. Adoption groups,
however, disputed that number. "There are so many dogs
up for adoption all the time, the limited number of groups
here can't handle them all," said Lorri Tracy, founder
of the Greyhound Adoption League. Tracy and others said they
believe about 500 dogs need to be placed each year. The actual
adoption numbers are unknown.
TGP
has some of the lowest purses in the country, and as such
its dogs are either beginning or ending their careers. This
creates a backlog of retired racers that take up space needed
for incoming dogs. The backlog of dogs has been going on since
last year. In October, McConnell issued letters to dog owners
demanding they pick up their "abandoned" dogs within
a week to make room for other racers.
For
More Information:
Greyhound
Protection League, www.greyhounds.org
Susan Netboy, Greyhound Protection League, (530) 575-2189
Greyhound
Network News,www.greyhoundnetworknews.org
Joan Eidinger, Greyhound Network News, (602) 604-8271
|
