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Yuma
Greyhound Park's History of Abuse
ABOVE: One of 36 dogs rescued
from the Yuma track's kennel compound.
Source: AZ Dept. of Racing case file. |
NOTE
TO READERS: Proposition 201 was defeated in 2002, with the
assistance of ADLA members and other grassroots groups.
SEPTEMBER
2002 -- Three dog tracks and four horse tracks are currently
operating in Arizona. If voters approve Proposition 201, at
least two long-closed dog tracks in Black Canyon City and
Yuma will reopen. If that happens, countless numbers of greyhounds
will be needlessly bred to supply these tracks.
Arizona’s
humane community has significant concerns about the possible
reopening of Yuma Greyhound Park. The track, located in a
remote area of the state near the Mexican border, operated
for 28 years before its closure in 1993. The following abuse
cases, which caused the deaths of at least 50 greyhounds,
occurred shortly before the track closed.
Thirty-six
greyhounds near death from starvation were discovered January
7, 1990, nearly two weeks after their trainer abandoned them
in the kennel compound at the track. The dogs, still muzzled
in their cages, were barely alive, unable to stand; others
were walking skeletons. Six of the dogs are known to have
died.
Forty-four
greyhounds were found dead June 20, 1990 at a makeshift kennel
50 miles east of the Yuma track, where some of the dogs had
raced. The kennel operator was arrested and charged with 70
counts of animal cruelty. The owner of the adjacent property
discovered the gruesome scene and wrote the following account:
“No
matter in which direction we walked we would see a grotesque
body, some only a few weeks into death, others, mostly skeletons
picked clean by predators, or other starving, crazed greyhounds
that managed to dig out from behind high wire fenced pens.
Others never escaped. Some were alone, propped against the
wire fence, while still more lay in groups, piled on top of
each other . . .
“They
were, for a while, sheltered under a 4’ by 8’ sheet
of plywood, their only protection against the burning desert
sun. But the plywood had blown off, as though Mother Nature
intended to expose what man had done. Then, even to her, the
shock was too great, and her winds blew sand as if to try
and hide this grisly scene.”
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