AR-News: (FL - US) 119 Greyhounds Test Positive for Cocaine at racetracks

[Snugglezzz at aol.com]

This is another GREAT argument on why greyhound racing should be banned. - Sherrill
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119 Greyhounds Test Positive for Cocaine at Fla. Racetracks

POSTED: 6:00 pm EDT May 3, 2004

TAMPA, Fla. -- According to a published report in Monday morning's edition of the Tampa Tribune, more than 100 racing greyhounds tested positive for cocaine over the past three years at racetracks across Florida.

"This is a shocking development," said GREY2K USA President Carey Theil. "It is a disturbing pattern of behavior that calls into question the integrity of wagers being placed at Florida dog tracks."

The report also raises questions about current drug-testing procedures. Currently, the state Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering does not alert police when a dog tests positive for cocaine, nor does it investigate how the drug was transmitted to the dog. 

Division officials claim that current testing procedures are adequate, and believe that these positive cocaine tests are most likely the result of "incidental contact," rather than an organized attempt to fix the outcome of pari-mutuel races.

National Greyhound Association President Chuck Marriott described how the positives could be attributed to human drug use, claiming that a dog trainer could have cocaine "on his hands and (when) he brushes the dog with his hand, the drug goes into the dog."

State Sen. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Broward County) dismissed the notion that these positives are due to human transference as "ridiculous" and "naive." Meanwhile, greyhound advocates expressed concern over both scenarios.

"I'm not sure which scenario is more troubling," said Theil, "that dozens of trainers are fixing races, or that dozens of trainers are handling dogs while under the influence of serious narcotics like cocaine."

For more information, call Carey Theil at (866) 247-3925, or go to GREY2K USA.

Copyright 2004 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.