TRACK EXEC RESPONDS TO GALVESTON DAILY NEWS ARTICLE

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UPDATE: The Briggs letter was published in the March 27 edition of the newspaper.
 
A March 17 Galveston Daily News story about greyhound racing in Texas has been answered by Gulf Greyhound Park General Manager Sally Briggs. In a letter to the publication’s editor, Briggs said the story showed “how animal rights activists present their propaganda claims as fact, even when those claims defy logic and common sense.”
 

 
The story highlighted a report released to Texas media a few days earlier by Grey2K USA and the American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). Recent proposals to authorize slot machines at Texas tracks apparently provided the impetus for the report, which was nothing more than a rehash of Grey2K’s standard attacks against greyhound racing.
 
Here’s the full text of Ms. Briggs’ letter:
 
Dear Editor:
 
The March 17 story on Texas greyhound racing shows how animal rights activists present their propaganda claims as fact, even when those claims defy logic and common sense.
Racing greyhounds must be well cared for in order to perform at their best. Industry regulations require that they be housed in comfortable crates large enough to permit the greyhounds to stand, sit, lie down and turn around comfortably. Anything less would cause stiff and sore muscles, making it much more difficult for the dogs to compete.
Similarly, greyhounds are turned out for exercise 4-5 times daily in order to ensure that they remain in top condition. When they’re not racing or exercising, they prefer to rest, which is why adoptive greyhound owners often refer to their retired racers as “40 mile an hour couch potatoes.” Exercise and rest are both essential for healthy racers.
Good nutrition is another key to the health of racing greyhounds. The meat they consume is the same highly nutritious meat used in the commercial pet foods most of us give our pets every day. If this diet weren’t suitable for greyhounds, they wouldn’t grow, thrive and perform as well as they do.
Grey2K distorts the facts on greyhound injuries, too. Veterinary records show that injuries occur in fewer than one-quarter of one percent per 1,000 racing starts. The vast majority of those injuries are relatively minor, allowing the dogs to return to racing after a week or two. When a return to racing is not possible, the greyhounds transition successfully to life in an adoptive home.
Whether Texas experiences an expansion of gaming or not, we will continue to take our responsibilities very seriously when it comes to the health and welfare of the greyhounds at our track. 
 
Sincerely,
 
Sally Briggs, General Manager
Gulf Greyhound Park