Another stain on Florida’s greyhound industry
April 7th, 2010 by admin
Greyhound racing is first and foremost a business, and trainers and track owners place financial gain over the welfare of animals. Not convinced? On Monday, Pensacola’s WEAR-TV reported that investigators from Florida’s Department of Business and Professional Regulation had uncovered a case of severe neglect at the Pensacola Greyhound Track (click here to watch the report).
22 greyhounds owned by Billie Ard (W.R. Etheredge Kennel) were euthanized due to malnourishment. A former employee of the kennel told WEAR-TV that, “there was some weeks we had real bad weeks and she just barely got the food.”
It is disappointing, though not surprising, that 22 dogs could be so horribly neglected without anyone at the Pensacola Greyhound Track raising a finger to help.
Subj: Fwd: OMERTA - THE PONTIUS PILATE EFFECT AMONGST US
GREYHOUND DEFENDERS:
DEF:
A rule or code of silence practiced by the Mafia that members swear to that prohibits speaking or divulging information about certain acivities, especially the activities of criminal organization, and/or that refuses to give evidence to police about criminal activities.
This rule, this code of silence is alive, well and thriving at the Pensacola Greyhound track. There was the terrible odor of urine, dirty bandages, and underfed Greyhounds in plain sight of track employees. I have worked in the racing kennels and I do know for a fact that there were many others who were aware of the abuse taking place at the Etheredge kennel under the supervision of Billie Ard.
I advocate an inspection control in place at every currently operating Greyhound racetrack that can insure the well being and care at all kennels in that facility. There should be ‘whistle blower’ program in place, without penalty, that would allow decent racetrack employees to come forth to expose this kind of terrible abuse. This is the abuse that has cost Greyhound Racing it’s integrity in the eyes of the american public.
In addition to that, we have those responsible for neglect and abuse simply able to wash their hands of the whole affair, walk out the front door and go free - when reality dictates that they should be tried for their crime. Where is the court of law to administer laws of animal cruelty? Abuse? Starvation? Lack of medical care?
We simply cannot just wash our hands and walk away from this awful cruelty. This person should face criminal charges, along with others recently in the news. Their names are legion, and they should not escape the judgement of the law. Greyhound racing must police it’s tracks to hold these employees to an industry standard. It will not serve to mandate more legislation, we must enforce laws already on the books for Greyhound protection. All the laws, NGA, AGTOA, and other organizations did not keep this case of cruelty and abuse from happening in plain sight.
I advocate the full prosecution of the law that this cruelty does not go unpunished, Billie Ard is more than a person who has violated every act of decency, she is a breaker of every humane law, a defiler of every standard of being human, and a cancer on the history of Greyhound racing. This cannot be forgiven, it must be judged, and adjudicated within the law. The desperate lives and deaths of these Greyhounds are not less than the law protects.
Despite losing her license, Billie Ard will not face any criminal charges because Escambia County Animal Control elected not to investigate the matter… Even though the state alerted them to the problem.
She brings a terrible shame upon the heads of all those who have worked with dedication, so tirelessly
within their heart of hearts to care for these magnificent creatures, the Greyhound. These loving innocents have suffered the worse at the hands of those who were bound to their care. All those who love them are crying their tears and mending broken hearts, but once again, it is too late.
WHAT OF THE FUTURE?
For the dogs-
shirley sureck
st petersburg florida