Cover Stories Fall 2003

Lure Accident Fatality Launches State Investigation

West Palm Beach, Florida: The Florida Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering launch-ed an investigation into the death of a 3-year-old female greyhound following a lure accident during the seventh matinee race on Sunday, July 13, at the Palm Beach Kennel Club. Theresa Hume, director of publicity for the Palm Beach track, said Leta's Princess was injured in a collision with others dogs. She then stumbled into the path of the motorized lure, was shocked on the electrified rail, and was struck with the equivalent of 200 pounds of force from the moving lure.

Hume said the lure operator sped up the lure after the dogs collided to keep them moving, then tried to stop it after realizing a dog was on the rail. But the lure continued to run on momentum. The track veterinarian put up a screen as Leta's Princess was euthanized in front of about 1,500 spectators. Other dogs involved in the collision suffered minor injuries. Customers who bet on the race were refunded.

David Roberts, director of the pari-mutuel division, said, "Just because an animal is euthanized does not provoke an investigation. We want to take a look at whether there was a problem with the track at all or [it was] just an accident - an act of God - that it happened the way it did." The agency can suspend or revoke the track's operating license and impose fines of up to $1,000 for each infraction. Hume said the track is co-operating with the state investigation.

According to press reports, witnesses were in tears at the disturbing scene of a greyhound writhing in pain, lying helpless on the rail as the lure came around the track. Joe Zambuto of Lake Worth said he worried about how children at the track would react. Zambuto, a Vietnam veteran, said he could barely stomach it.

The Greyhound Protection League (GPL) filed a written complaint with the pari-mutuel division on July 16, alleging that the Palm Beach track has a long history of fail-ing to provide safe conditions for its racing dogs. GPL also requested a formal investigation into the dog's death and the "extremely dangerous racing conditions that exist at the Palm Beach Kennel Club."

In a press release issued the same day, GPL spokeswoman Lenka Perron said, "This dog's death is not a freak accident; it's the result of callous disregard for the safety of the animals. A catastrophic death of this magnitude should have been anticipated by track management, given what has been going on before their eyes for months-or perhaps years-on end."

A six-month review of the track's race charts by GPL revealed there were nearly 300 incidents of collisions, bumps or falls. According to GPL director Susan Netboy, the charts showed a consistent pattern of jam-ups, collisions, and falls resulting in dogs being trampled. "Persistent problems of this nature are attributable to poorly constructed turns, improper track maintenance, holes or protrusions in the track surface and improper banking of turns," Netboy said. "There's just no excuse for ignoring such an obviously dangerous situation."

On July 19, more than a dozen animal activists held a funeral procession in mem-ory of Leta's Princess and a protest against dog racing outside the Palm Beach track. Heather Lischin, managing director of the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida , organized the event.

Fox News 12 and local ABC affiliate WPBF-25 aired coverage of the protest on their evening news broadcasts.

Outcome: The pari-mutuel division concluded its probe Sept. 30, ruling that "there were no violations of Florida statutes" in the "unfortunate" death of Leta's Princess.

Sources: Palm Beach Post: Rochelle Brenner
The Associated Press