Greyhound abuse

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, June 2002:

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa; EAGLE CREEK, Oregon; LILLIAN,
Alabama–Three greyhound racing scandals broke in different parts of
the U.S. within just three days preceding the Memorial Day weekend,
and all three seemed to confirm the darkest allegations of
anti-greyhound racing protesters about how the dogs are trained and
culled.
“Investigative reports released by the Iowa Racing and Gaming
Commission show that Victor ‘Jay’ Rangel, 33, of Council Bluffs,
was accused by witnesses of using a whip on the greyhound Primco
Glasco, and striking the dog with his hand,” William Petroski of
the Des Moines Register reported on May 20.

“One witness said Rangel
grabbed the dog by the collar, pulling him four feet into the air,
and then threw the dog into his cage and struck the cage twice with
his closed fist,” Petroski continued, adding, “The racing
commission fined Rangel $500. He has since had his state racing
license revoked in a separate proceeding. He allegedly submitted a
false license application four years ago.”
Owned by Haynes Kennel operator Jason Haynes, of Bluffs Run,
Primco Glaxco was judged by an Iowa state veterinarian to be “in
excellent condition with a friendly demeanor,” but soon afterward
suffered a career-ending injury.
On May 21, Stuart Tomlinson of the Portland Oregonian
revealed that the Oregon Racing Commission in April “revoked Ronald
M. Floyd’s license to run a greyhound farm for at least one year,
after he refused to allow investigators to search his property. The
search request came after investigators discovered a dead rabbit in
the driveway of Floyd’s property on February 12. A veterinarian
determined that the rabbit was a ‘canine’ kill and that it might have
died as it was being used as a live lure.”
Noted Tomlinson, “In Decem-ber 1999, the commission revoked
Floyd’s training license for two years and fined him $3,000 after six
dogs died from heat and lack of water in a rental truck and trailer
as he drove from Oregon to Florida” to participate in racing.
The worst came last, as Alabama officials charged Robert L.
Rhodes, 68, with felony animal cruelty. Rhodes allegedly shot as
many as 3,000 “retired” racing greyhounds for various trainers at the
Pensacola Greyhound Track, where he was formerly a security guard.
Rhodes “told law enforcement officials and local reporters
that he had killed the dogs for $10 each, and that he had been doing
it his entire adult life, beginning with his first job out of high
school as a young man in Black Hills South Dakota,” wrote David
Halbfinger of The New York Times.
Rhodes insisted that he always shot dogs in the brain, “but
district attorney David Whetstone said three of the four dogs his
investigators dug up had been shot in the mouth or the neck,”
Halbfinger added.