Cover Stories Summer 2000

Six Oregon Greyhounds Die on Haul to Florida


Portland, Oregon: The Oregon Racing Commission (ORC) revoked the license of racing greyhound owner and trainer Ronald Floyd and Fined him $3,000 for negligence that resulted in the deaths of six racing greyhounds on a haul to Florida late last year.
On the last day of live racing at Multnomah Greyhound Park (MGP), Floyd packed more than 60 greyhounds into a rental truck and dilapidated aluminum dog trailer where they were confined for the entire 3,000-mile, 58-hour journey. Upon arrival at the Sanford-Orlando Kennel Club (SOKC) in Longwood, 17 miles east of Orlando, one greyhound was dead and five others died within minutes.
Connie Theil, founder of Oregon Defenders of Greyhounds, said, "We knew dogs were being transported in a negligent and inhumane manner." Last October Theil and other animal advocates had watched a different kennel load dogs into a rental van on the last day of racing and alerted authorities. "State racing officials ignored our concerns and these dogs paid a high price for that indifference."
Theil learned about Floyd's deadly haul during a routine check of the commission's website in early March. Posted on the site were the minutes of the ORC's Jan. 20 meeting, during which commission members were considering Floyd's appeal [denied] and referred to the "tragedy of six dogs dying."
Within weeks, Theil had obtained the documents in the case under the state's open records law. On April 5 Theil sent a press release to the media and two days later she was interviewed on radio stations statewide and local television stations in the Portland area. The Oregonian reported the story in its April 10 edition.
The story broke in Orlando on WOFL-TV Channel 35, the local Fox affiliate, which aired details of the case on its April 14 newscast. Greyhound Protection League's Orlando representative Caria Wilson said the dogs were covered in "their own urine and feces," and that the men should be jailed.
Chronology of Events
 The following has been excerpted from the ORC's documents:

  • On Sunday, Oct. 10, 1999, at approximately 11:30 p.m..Floyd left the MGP kennel compound with 61 racing greyhounds. He was accompanied by Mike Robbins, a bartender at MGP, who had no hands-on experience with racing greyhounds.

  • A rented Ryder truck with a dog trailer lowed behind it were used to transport the dogs. The truck held 31 dogs in 12 crates, the trailer held 30 dogs in ten compartments [called "holes"]. Three dogs were confined in each hole, in a space less than 35" wide, with no room to lie down or turn around. The 40-year-old trailer was not air-conditioned.

  • Floyd and Robbins arrived at a greyhound farm in Sayre, Okla., at approximately 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 12. The dogs were given a mixture of condensed milk and water during the one-hour layover, but were not removed from their crates. While in Oklahoma, four greyhounds were dropped off and six were picked up, bringing the total to 63 greyhounds.

  • Floyd and Robbins headed south-southeast, traveling through Louisiana, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle.

  • When the caravan arrived in the Orlando area at about noon on Wednesday, Oct. 13, the temperature was 95 degrees. A traffic jam during the last 17-mile leg of the trip delayed their arrival at the track's kennel compound. As Floyd began unloading the dogs from the trailer, he discovered that one of the dogs had been dead for at least several hours: rigor mortis had set in. Another Five dogs were in acute distress and died within 15 minutes despite attempts to revive them with cold water.

    Investigation and Hearing
    The deaths were reported to Tom Bowersox, Director of Racing at SOKC and Thomas Weaver of the ORC's Board of Judges. Floyd was interviewed Nov. 8 at the SOKC security office by Bryan Wall, an investigator for the Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering. Wall's written report stated that the greyhounds, double-and triple-crated, were never taken out to relieve themselves or exercise and had no water for the last 20 hours of the trip.
    A formal hearing was held at the ORC in Portland on Tuesday, Dec. 7. Floyd, investigator Wall, and other witnesses were present throughout the hearing via telephone. During his testimony Floyd stated that there were water cans in each crate but admitted the cans were not checked or replenished after leaving Oklahoma. The Board of Judges recommended that his license be revoked and that he be Fined $500 for each greyhound that died.
    The ORC upheld the judgments, revoked Floyd's license, and imposed the $3,000 fine at its Jan. 20 meeting. Floyd must complete payment of the fine by February 2001.

    Greyhounds Remembered
    On Friday night. May 5, as MGP opened for its 68th live racing season, 30 animal advocates held a candlelight vigil outside the track's entrance to memorialize the six greyhounds who died of heat exhaustion. The dogs were: Mindi the Mooch. My Road Dog, Mezmerized, Gussie's Garter, Bobby Leo, and Guess My Game.
    The vigil and anti-racing protest, organized by Theil, was covered by Channel 8, the local NBC affiliate. The National Greyhound Association has taken no action against Floyd.

    Sources: OCR Case Documents
    The Oregonian: Stuart Tomilinson
    WOFL-TV Channel 35 Transcripts