PETA Statement: Santa Anita’s Announced Procedures to Prevent Deaths

For Immediate Release:
March 11, 2019

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Please see the following statement from PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo regarding the Santa Anita racetrack’s new procedures to prevent the deaths of horses:

Santa Anita’s new procedures acknowledge that the deaths of 21 horses were never just about the rain and a bad track. They’re a step in the right direction—but they don’t go far enough. Reviews of horses’ past races and workout times, along with more physical examinations, should help to reveal when animals are being medicated to mask injuries. PETA has long advocated for mandating that veterinary records stay with horses throughout their lives, which is crucial for ensuring that injuries aren’t hidden. But now, the entire racing industry must own up to the bloodbath on racetracks across the country. Medications must be banned entirely in the week before a race, beating horses with a whip to push them ever harder must stop, and racing injured horses just to give bettors options to put money on must be prohibited. These animals aren’t machines to be driven mercilessly, and the public has joined PETA in making it clear that it won’t support this abuse.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.