Dog racing track manager talks safety measures

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - The general manager of Tucson Greyhound Park is speaking out for the first time, after rescue groups raised concern over the number of injured racing dogs.

Dale Popp said he wanted to set the record straight, after animal advocacy groups cited concerns about mistreatment of greyhounds at the race track.

In the past few weeks, rescue groups have taken in 28 greyhounds, 24 of which were former racing dogs, with injuries ranging from broken legs to heat stroke.

The groups have already spent more than $30,000 to treat the dogs, and volunteers estimated the cost to exceed $100,000 this year.

Popp said he takes the welfare of the dogs seriously.

On Friday night, he allowed Tucson News Now crews inside the track for the first time to tape a race.

Popp said greyhound racing may be a business, but workers at the park love their dogs too.

"There are some very hard working people behind the scenes to take care of these dogs," Popp said.

Popp said kennel owners who brought in the race dogs were very passionate about the sport. Many of them had nicknames for the dogs and brought them treats regularly.

Before every race every dog undergoes a medical examination.

144 greyhounds were examined by state and track veterinarians prior to the race on Friday. Popp said state law requires the dogs rest for three days between races.

The longest race length time is 38 seconds.

In the summer months, they canceled the longer races and moved the other ones later into the evening, when things were cooler.

"Everything we do is monitored by the state," he said. "Not just that, they also do surprise kennel inspections."

Managers said the temperature in the kennels is kept at about 80 degrees, and if temperatures reach 82 degrees, an alarm will go off.

Still, rescue groups said there have been a spike in the number of injured dogs in the last two months, mostly with broken bones.

Staff members said the first few inches of the track is soft fluff so dogs don't injure their paws. The park loses money when it has to replace injured dogs, as they have to pay to bring new dogs in to race.

"They're athletes there's going to be a certain amount of injuries," Popp said. "We try our best to keep those down to a minimal."

Animal advocacy groups like Grey2k that fight to protect greyhounds have released a statement that said "greyhound racing is cruel and inhumane."

The group is trying to shut down the Tucson Greyhound Park.

They've successfully contributed to the closure of 28 dog racing tracks in the country.

500 dogs live at the Tucson park.