Archive for category: Press Room

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has issued recommendations on the prevention of circovirus, an infectious disease that previously has been known to affect primarily pigs and birds but may now be a factor in the illness and death of four dogs in Ohio and California.

 “While there have been no reports of this illness affecting greyhounds, we want to make sure our members are aware of the virus and take proper precautions to keep their dogs healthy,” said NGA Executive Director Gary Guccione.

According to the AVMA website, circoviruses are small viruses that are known to survive well in the environment once shed from affected animals. The circovirus identified in dogs appears to be more similar to the porcine variety than the avian strain. It has been found in healthy animals as well as sick ones, suggesting that the virus does not always produce illness.

Although the route of infection is still unknown, according to the AVMA site, “the basic principles of viral spreading suggest that direct contact with an infected dog or its vomit or diarrhea would present a higher risk of infection.” Other means of spreading the disease may include the use of shared bedding and equipment, or human contact with an infected animal prior to handling of an uninfected animal. Contact with manure and respiratory secretions is known to spread the virus in pigs.

The common symptoms of circovirus in dogs are vomiting and diarrhea, but these same symptoms can stem from many other causes, so the AVMA says it’s important to contact your veterinarian to ensure a prompt diagnoses and early treatment. The organization also recommends:

·      Cleaning up after your dog passes stool

·      Keeping your dog away from the stool of other dogs

·      Monitoring dogs for signs of illness

·      Isolating dogs that may be ill

·      Disinfecting areas where ill dogs have been housed

“Following standard disease control practices is the most effective thing that can be done at this time,” said Dr. Brad Fenwick, a nationally recognized veterinarian and expert in infectious diseases in animals. Fenwick said racing greyhounds, as top athletes, must be in excellent health, so generally have strong immune systems, which helps to ward off infection and reduce the severity of disease.

 In addition to the charitable donations, the group provided an additional $1,000 in NGA Track Stakes purse money, sponsored a Women in Greyhound Racing stakes race, and awarded a $500 prize to the breeder of the fastest female greyhound.

The two charities receiving $1,250 each are The Charmettes, Inc. of Broward County, a non-profit organization that provides cancer education and awareness aswell as financial support for scientific research; and Save the Twinz, an event sponsored by Live PINK!, a South Florida organization that hosts fundraising events designed to heighten awareness of breast cancer and raise funds for a cure.

“We wanted to honor the women in greyhound racing for the amazing work they do, often behind the scenes,” said Leslie Csokasy, one of the organizers. “Greyhound racing is a family business, and there are some terrific women in our sport who do everything from running the farms and kennels to coordinating greyhound adoption efforts when their racers retire.”

Csokasy said the NGA’s fall meet is held annually in October, which also is National Breast Cancer Awareness month. “Supporting breast cancer awareness seemed like the perfect way to pay tribute to the resilience and strength of women,” she said.

 “Too many women have been touched by this terrible disease, not only in greyhound racing but in every community. This was the perfect way to honor and support them.”

The prize for fastest female greyhound went to CTW Leona Brown, a red brindle female from Peck’s Training Kennel, Stephenville TX.

AGC Spokesman Gary Guccione set the record straight in a letter published September 24 in West Virginia’s Charleston Gazette. The communication was in response to earlier coverage of Grey2K’s much-hyped "report" on greyhound injuries at Wheeling Island. 

Guccione wrote, "The Grey2K USA attack against greyhound racing, as reported in your September 4 article, has little to do with reality and everything to do with this organization’s radical political agenda. These extremists will say and do anything to stir up public outrage and cash in on well-intentioned but misguided donors."

Here’s the rest of the letter:

"The fact is that only about one-half of one percent of all greyhound racing starts actually result in injury to greyhounds. Of those injuries, the vast majority are so minor that the greyhounds are treated and able to return to racing in a week or two.

"On rare occasions, greyhounds experience injuries that end their racing careers. Those that are unable to continue racing are retired into an adoption program, and find loving homes in which to live out ther lives. Nearly 95 percent of all registered racing greyhounds are returned to the farm or placed in adoptive homes when they retire. It’s hard to imagine how any reasonable person could consider this outcome "catastrophic."

"It should be obvious to anyone with an ounce of common sense that greyhound owners and track operators have a vested interest in doing everything possible to reduce the risk of injury to racing greyhounds. That is why tracks spend hundreds of thousands of dollars each year on track maintenance and training and research to identify and resolve track surface issues that could contribute to greyhound injuries.

"Grey2K also misrepresents the economic reality of greyhound racing. The economic benefits of live racing are not limited to the number of tax dollars generated for state coffers. In most states, racinos have been approved, at least in part, because rural economies benefit from the horse and dog breeding industries that generate jobs, revenue and business activity in farm communities. This is a reality that the urban, well-heeled leaders of Grey2K simply do not understand.

"The bottom line is simple. Animal rights groups may generate a lot of heat, but they seldom shed much light on the issues they’re exploiting to raise money. Hopefully your readers will take Grey2K’s over-dramatic rhetoric with a grain of salt."

The Charleston Daily Mail  has published a guest commentary by AGC spokesperson Gary Guccione in response to recent coverage of Grey2K USA attacks on greyhound racing in West Virginia. Here’s a taste of that column, entitled "Greyhound Owners Want Race Dogs to Stay Healthy":

"Animal rights groups tend to generate more heat than light on the issues they exploit to raise money and gain publicity. This is certainly true of Grey2K USA, the animal rights group covered in Dave Boucher’s September 4 article about injuries and economics in greyhound racing."