GREYHOUND RACE DOGS DIE IN IOWA’S 2ND HAULING ACCIDENT THIS YEAR

Jul 23, 2007 -

Two Surviving Dogs Are Still Running at Large and Are in Great Peril

Iowa City, Iowa – A greyhound hauling-rig accident on I-80 outside of Iowa City on Saturday morning resulted in the death of five of the nine greyhounds that were being transported from an Oklahoma breeding farm to the Dubuque dog track. The rig rolled over 4 to 5 times and landed in a ditch, killing three of the dogs outright. The driver and a passenger were transported to the University of Iowa where they are in good condition.

A fourth greyhound was euthanized at the scene; a fifth was later euthanized at the Bright Eyes and Bushy Tails Veterinary Clinic. A sixth greyhound, and the only one that wasn’t ejected from the vehicle during the crash, is in stable condition at the same clinic. Of the three greyhounds that escaped from the vehicle, two are still running at large; one was recovered on Monday morning. The two that remain at large are muzzled and defenseless.

“Greyhound hauling vehicles are notoriously dangerous and when something goes wrong, it’s disastrous for the dogs,” said Susan Netboy, President of the Greyhound Protection League (GPL), a national greyhound welfare organization.”

Netboy points out that there have been a series of tragic hauling incidents in recent years, and adds that these are just the ones that have been documented:

• On April 27, 2007, four greyhounds were killed in Gadsden, Alabama. Seven others that were ejected from the vehicle were never recovered.
• On January 11, 2007, dozens of greyhounds were injured and three killed, along with the driver who fell asleep near Davenport, Iowa.
• On January 14, 2007, greyhounds were let loose after a hauling accident on a Missouri highway.
• On September 14, 2005, fourteen greyhounds died, and others were injured, when they were trapped in a hauling rig that caught fire near Orlando, Florida.
• On June 20, 2005, eight greyhounds died from heat exhaustion in a cramped hauling vehicle in the New Mexico desert.
• On April 12, 2003, four greyhounds died, and ten were seriously burned in a vehicle fire near Bradenton, Florida.

“Greyhound racing dogs are continually on the road in all types of rundown hauling vehicles; yet regulation and safety inspection of hauling rigs is non-existent,” said Netboy. “The racing industry continues to dismiss the suffering and the loss of life as the cost of doing business. It’s high time that they get serious about protecting the lives of these animals that put millions of dollars in their pockets.”

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