RACE DOGS DIED OF STREPTOCOCCAL TOXIC SHOCK SYNDROME

Apr 03, 2003 - GREYHOUND ADVOCACY GROUP SAYS DOGS RACED SICK

Necropsy results conducted by the University of Florida College of Veterinarian Medicine on 2 greyhounds that died last week at Derby Lane has been identified as the same toxic shock syndrome that killed 6 greyhounds at Derby Lane and 13 greyhounds at Seabrook dog track in 1999. The opportunistic strain can overtake a greyhound that is stressed from kennel cough, and may be introduced into the dog's system from ingesting raw meat, according to the University. The University is recommending to Florida dog track vets that sick greyhounds not be moved and be served cooked food, an impossibility since racing greyhounds are fed 4-D meat (dead, dying, decayed or diseased) in raw form.

Greyhound Protection League, a greyhound advocacy organization that has been closely tracking the spread of the recent strep outbreak and racetrack activities, says that the tracks have been negligent in their care for the greyhounds. According to GPL's investigation, 2 Florida tracks continue to hold races knowing that the dogs may be both infected and contagious. The fact that these dogs are probably fed a staple of uncooked meat puts the dogs at risk of a secondary, lethal infection.

An investigation of Hollywood Dog Track race results show that at least 2 kennel owners knowingly raced dogs that had been exposed to this disease. The dogs eventually became sick and were scratched. Dogs from these same kennels were raced, and several scratched, as recently as Tuesday night. According to GPL, the public that bet on any of the dogs from these kennels should be concerned that they placed bets on dogs that were sick, or getting sick.

Based on the number of scratches since the outbreak began 2 weeks ago, at least 3 kennels at the Fort Myers/Naples track continue to run dogs. In addition, there is evidence that exposed dogs that appear to be healthy are not being given adequate rest time between races. "When you lose this many dogs to illness, you have less healthy dogs left to run", said Susan Netboy, President of GPL. For example, 2 greyhounds named Crooked Tail and Fast Moving Bob raced on the 28th, and again on the 31st, violating the industry standard of 4-5 days rest between race events.

As a result, there is still a risk that the disease can turn deadly. The duration of the disease is also much longer, and according to GPL, this is because the dogs are being stressed, and their immune systems aren't very strong. "Poor diets, poor environments, tick borne diseases...these all reap havoc on the body of a greyhound living in cramped quarters trying to fight what the tracks are minimizing as kennel cough", said Lenka Perron, GPL Representative.

GPL is outraged that tracks are still racing with sick dogs, and that other tracks took so long to cancel races. "There is no denying how contagious this disease is.....these dogs are not only kenneled in confined quarters...but before each race, they are housed in a small jenny pit.....exposing yet another large group of dogs". That, according to Netboy, is absolutely negligent, and in no other arena of animal care would this be considered acceptable.

"The tracks self imposed quaratines after they started seeing 25% or more of the greyhounds being pulled from the race cards, instead of issuing a quarantine upon the first evidence of a significant threat", said Perron.

According to GPL, tracks such as Hollywood and Naples are risking "racing the dogs to death".

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