Undercover Investigation Reveals Inhumane Conditions at Arizona Greyhound Track

NEW YORK-- New undercover video footage released yesterday illustrates the inhumane conditions and animal cruelty inherent in greyhound racing and further demonstrates what the ASPCA® (The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals®) has maintained for decades about dog racing. The video, filmed in August, 2010, at Arizona's Tucson Greyhound Park by GREY2K USA, a non-profit organization dedicated to ending greyhound racing nationwide, depicts muzzled greyhounds confined to small, stacked cages in dark rooms for extended periods of time. The footage confirms that racing dogs are fed meat from diseased animals to reduce costs and denied proper exercise and human interaction.

"As disturbing as this video is, it's sadly not surprising," said Ann Church, senior director of ASPCA Government Relations. "The footage only underscores what we already know: Greyhounds endure lives of terrible confinement, kept in warehouse style kennels in cages that are barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around. The ASPCA is grateful to GREY2K USA for capturing these inhumane conditions on film and raising awareness about the inherent cruelty of dog racing."

In 2008, the Tucson Dog Protection Act was passed, mandating that dogs housed at Tucson Greyhound Park must be let out of their cages for at least six hours per day and cannot be fed raw, diseased meat. The undercover video clearly shows that the track is in violation of the law, and the ASPCA is urging the city of South Tucson to take immediate action to ensure compliance of city code.

Across the country, greyhound racing has been declining for the past two decades due to competition from other forms of gambling, as well as an increasingly informed public that refuses to support such an inhumane industry. Recently, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New Hampshire all passed laws prohibiting greyhound racing, and 25 greyhound tracks have closed in the U.S. since 2001. The state of Arizona has struggled to maintain attendance at its one remaining track, and the ASPCA urges Arizona legislators to follow in the growing trend and permanently outlaw dog racing in their state.

"Greyhound racing is a dying industry nationwide," added Church. "There is nothing entertaining about dog racing when you know that these animals are suffering, and it's time for greyhound racing to stop."

In October, the ASPCA and GREY2K USA released a report detailing the inhumane conditions and weak financial viability of greyhound racing in Iowa. The report documented more than 500 serious greyhound injuries at Iowa's two racetracks since 2006, as well as dogs confined in rows of stacked cages for 19 to 21 hours per day.

For more information about the ASPCA's work to end greyhound racing, please visit www.aspca.org.