AR-News: AR NEWS: Greyhound rules would close some loopholes

[WeArPetitions at aol.com]

http://www.lacrossetribune.com/articles/2003/09/08/news/2dogs.txt

By Tom Sheehan / Tribune Capitol Bureau
Racing greyhounds could not be shipped from a Wisconsin racetrack for use in 
medical experiments by anyone except their owners, under rule changes 
recommended by the state Division of Gaming
The proposal is just one of more than 150 changes proposed in what would mark 
the first overhaul of Wisconsin's greyhound racing rules since 1996, said 
Chris Patton, a racing specialist with the division.

The changes, now being reviewed by the state Legislature, would update 
regulations, add safeguards and close some loopholes in the rules, Patton said. 
Wisconsin once had five greyhound racetracks but now has just two — Geneva Lakes 
Greyhound Track in Delavan and Dairyland Greyhound Park in Kenosha.

The rules control just about every aspect of greyhound racing, from security 
to bookkeeping to the amounts and types of bets allowed. About 25 of the rule 
changes directly affect animal welfare or the administration of drugs to 
greyhounds. Kennels at the two tracks held 1,680 greyhounds as of Friday, said Dan 
Subach, chief steward for the Gaming Division.

Some animal welfare advocates say rule changes don't go far enough to protect 
animals from injury and mistreatment. In some cases, the rules may even 
create loopholes, said Susan Netboy, president of the greyhound protection league 
in Penn Valley, Calif.

Greyhound owners should be banned from transporting or selling greyhounds for 
medical research, Netboy said. "I would say the state of Wisconsin has the 
authority to disallow it altogether because the dogs are racing in the state," 
Netboy said.

The proposed rule on transporting greyhounds was largely prompted by the case 
of a former kennel operator at the now-defunct St. Croix Meadows Greyhound 
Racing Park in Hudson, Patton said.

Daniel Shonka, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was convicted in St. Croix County Circuit 
Court on Feb. 6, 2003, of theft, after reaching a plea bargain with the state 
Attorney General's office. Shonka allegedly sold as many as 935 dogs for 
between $300 and $400 each to Guidant Corp., a Minnesota cardiac research lab from 
1996 to 2000. 

Shonka had a USDA license to sell animals to research facilities, but 
prosecutors said owners thought their animals were racing for his kennel or being put 
up for adoption. The proposed rule-change stops short of blocking dog owners 
from selling their animals for medical experiments because animals are 
considered private property, Patton said.

Another rule change would require that post-mortem exams on greyhounds be 
performed at a state animal health lab, the UW-Madison School of Veterinary 
Medicine or by another entity approved by a state veterinarian. Currently, the 
exams are performed by "veterinarians who have a financial relationships with 
kennel operators," a Gaming Division summary of the rules states.

About a dozen greyhounds are euthanized each year because of injuries at 
Wisconsin greyhound racetracks, Patton said. The rule change would remove even the 
appearance of any conflict of interest, Patton said.

Netboy said that change may appear more restrictive but actually would remove 
a requirement under current rules that post-mortem exams be performed for 
each greyhound death at a racetrack. A post-mortem is the only good way to 
determine if a greyhound may have been given performance-enhancing or other drugs, 
Netboy said.

Post-mortem exams would be done at the discretion of a state veterinarian 
under the proposed rules, and that's how it's done in practice now, Patton said. 
Under current rules, severely injured greyhounds must immediately be taken to 
a state veterinarian, who may euthanize them, Patton said. Under those 
circumstances, the state veterinarian clearly knows the cause of death without an 
exam, Patton said.

Netboy said the rule changes largely ignore greyhound injuries, which have 
been a problem, particularly at Dairyland, she said. From 2001 to 2002, injuries 
reported at Dairyland increased 30 percent — from 318 to 412, state records 
show. Injuries have tapered off during 2003, Patton said, but Netboy said the 
state missed an opportunity to mandate corrective action.

The number of injuries at Dairyland is remarkably low, given the number of 
greyhounds and races, said Bill Apgar, general manager and vice president of 
operations at Dairyland. "We run a safe racetrack and do everything we can for 
the health of the greyhounds," Apgar said.

Each year, Dairyland holds about 370 events, each of which feature between 15 
and 20 races, Apgar said. Apgar said he supports the rule changes, which went 
through a thorough review and hearing process, he said. Without objection 
from the Legislature, the rules could take effect in 2004, Patton said.










I looked at all the caged animals in the shelter...the cast-offs of human 
society. I saw in their eyes love and hope, fear and dread, sadness and betrayal. 
And I was angry. "God," I said, "this is terrible! Why don't you do 
something?" God was silent for a moment and then He spoke softly. "I have done 
something," He replied. "I created You." 
Get involved for our Animals, Wildlife, and Environment. Join "SUPPORT ANIMAL 
RIGHTS."
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