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Help Stop Harmful Drugging of Race Horses

Dear John,

The recent spate of horse deaths--23 in the span of three months--at the famous Santa Anita racetrack outside of Los Angeles has put a national spotlight on serious animal welfare concerns with horseracing in the United States. The fact is, hundreds of horses suffer catastrophic breakdowns on racetracks each year in the United States.

The frequency of such fatalities is likely linked to the rampant use of drugs in US horseracing and the corresponding lax oversight and regulation of performance-enhancing medications. The practice of injecting racehorses shortly before a race is banned in almost all other countries, since administering a cocktail of drugs can hide injuries, pain, inflammation, and other warning signs that precede catastrophic breakdowns.

Reps. Andy Barr (R-KY) and Paul Tonko (D-NY)--co-chairs of the Congressional Horse Caucus--introduced the Horseracing Integrity Act (H.R. 1754) to address the industry's continued reliance on drugs. Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martha McSally (R-AZ), and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) introduced identical legislation, the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (S. 4547), in the Senate. The bill would create an independent anti-doping authority that would set uniform national standards, testing procedures, and penalties for Thoroughbred racing, replacing the patchwork and wildly inconsistent regulatory schemes that currently exist among 38 jurisdictions. Importantly, the bill would prohibit race-day medications, aligning US standards with those abroad. The bill also addresses racetrack safety by creating an accreditation program to ensure that tracks comply with maintenance procedures, as well as a national database to track injuries and fatalities.

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What You Can Do
Now that H.R. 1754 has passed the House, please urge your senators ([link removed]) to ensure that the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (S. 4547) reaches the finish line.

As always, be sure to share our eAlert with family, friends and co-workers, and encourage them to contact their senators as well. Thank you very much for your dedication to protecting animals!

Sincerely,

Cathy Liss
President

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Animal Welfare Institute
900 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE, Washington, DC 20003
(202) 337-2332 | www.awionline.org ([link removed])

The Animal Welfare Institute is a not-for-profit organization, founded in 1951 and dedicated to reducing animal suffering caused by people. We seek better treatment of animals everywhere: in the laboratory, on the farm, in commerce, at home, and in the wild.

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