| Greyhound Protection League
home RACING GREYHOUND DIES HORRIFIC DEATH IN FRONT OF SPECTATORSJul 15, 2003 - Greyhound Protection League To File Complaint With State Requesting Safeguards Against Deadly Hazards West Palm Beach, Florida - Spectators witnessed the horrific death of a greyhound racing at Palm Beach Kennel Club during the 7th race on Sunday. According to witnesses, a greyhound was bumped and subsequently caught in the inside rail and was being electrocuted when the mechanical lure made a second turn and severed the greyhound in half. Track officials were forced to declare a "no race" requiring a refund to bettors. According to Greyhound Protection League, a national advocacy organization, this is not the first time the hazardous track conditions have so brutally taken the life of a greyhound. In February, 2003, Tune Me In was bumped into the inside rail at the Fort Myers/Naples race track and was also severed when the mechanical lure made its turn. Such tragedies are very predictable, given the common occurrence of greyhounds bumping and colliding during races. Many suffer serious and often career-ending fractures and other injuries. This type of accident, however, is the most gruesome, and probably easiest to prevent, according to GPL. "There are absolutely no safeguards in place to prevent this very obvious and anticipated situation", said Lenka Perron, Greyhound Protection League representative. "At a minimum, there should be mechanisms in place to cut off electrical power to stop electrocutions, and a means by which to slow down the mechanical lure to a full stop when needed". According to GPL, there are no state regulations requiring such safeguards. As a result, Greyhound Protection League will be filing a formal complaint with the Pari-mutual Wagering Division in Florida requesting the drafting of regulations that would require tracks to engineer certain safety features at the track. |