Greyhound racing critics demand more accountability from track in South Tucson

TUCSON, AZ (Tucson News Now) - Colorado's governor signed a ban on dog racing in that stateTuesday, the Grey2K greyhound activist group said that Colorado is the 39thstate to outlaw it.

But it remains legal in Arizona.

Track stewards watch what happens at Tucson Greyhound Park andfill reports on any incidents during the races.  But Tucson City Councilmember Steve Kozachik said that the stewards' records and what is reported tothe state don't match.

On Friday, during a race at Tucson Greyhound Park, one of the dogsbumped the electrified inside rail and died.  The track manager Dale Popphas called that an unfortunate incident.  But Kozachik said that recordsfrom last June through January show about nineteen dogs that "pulled up" duringthe race, or fell, and were not reported injured.  These records do notlist any specific injury to those dogs, unlike other reports of broken toes andother injuries.  But Kozachik said that these incidents should not be leftout of reports to the state, since those dogs never raced again, he said.

"Every one of these injuries was substantial enough so thatthe dog never raced again.  That's the bottom line.  So, if thesewere the last races for these dogs and the stewards noted them in their ownreports, they were significant enough that the stewards took note and that theowners either adopted them out or just got rid of them," said Ward 6 TucsonCity Council member Steve Kozachik.

Popp the manager was not at the track late Tuesdayafternoon.  South Tucson city manager Luis Gonzales said that whileregulating the dogs is up to the state racing commission, he is drafting arequest that when the investigation is complete, the commission will tell SouthTucson the results.  The city will then decide what if any actions areappropriate, and a building inspection because of that electrified inner rail couldbe possible.