Greyhounds survived Irma

While the kennel compound housing racing greyhounds at Hialeah, Florida, was still without power Tuesday, the greyhounds made it through Hurricane Irma without harm.

“They are stressed but that’s normal,” said Joe Trudden, kennel owner in south Florida. “We’re the ones under stress more than the dogs.”

Trudden said heat was an issue.

“Miami is without power,” he said. “We have generators, we have fans, but we don’t have AC and it’s 90 degrees. We are making do. It is scary.”

Many of the owners of the greyhounds racing in Florida and housed at the Hialeah kennel are from Kansas, and there's concern about the greyhounds.

“Every trainer is staying at the kennel in 90-degree heat, with the dogs, 24/7, hosing them down, icing them down,” Trudden said.

Dogs unharmed

Greyhounds in the Tampa and Jacksonville area also were unharmed.

“To the best of our knowledge and based on everything I’ve heard, all the greyhounds came through unscathed,” said Jim Gartland, executive director of the National Greyhound Association in Abilene. “There are still compounds without power and some incurred minor damage, but overall they fared pretty well.”

Gartland said there was no word on when racing would resume in south Florida.

“I’m not sure racing is a priority as people are trying to put their lives back in order,” he said.

Carlos Perez, trainer for the D.Q. Williams Kennels, lives near the Hialeah compound and opened his home to his fellow trainers, so they could eat and take showers, Trudden said.

“There are power companies all over the area. We are hoping we’re next,” he said. “It could be any minute, or it could be a week.”

No water in kennel

Across the state the Derby Lane Kennel Club, in St. Petersburg, Fla., didn’t lose power, said Lester Raines, kennel owner.

“Everything is fine,” he said. “We were worried about the storm surge. We were advised to put our dogs in the top crate. We did that. They allowed our employees to stay there in the facility (during the storm). It was total cooperation by Derby Lane.

“We had a tree in the sprint path fall but we didn’t have water in the kennel. The surge didn’t really take place.”