PETA Global 2018 Issue 3

E Q U I N E E Q U A L I T Y E Q U I N E E Q U A L I T Y

Design: Dana Mulranen • Image: © Paul Smyres

In the Shadowof theVolcano PETAAsia Brings Urgent Vet Care to Horses Forced up aMountain By Ashley Fruno Director of Animal Assistance Programs, PETA Asia

Photo frame: © iStock.com/blackred

The $31,000 Injection: PETA Teams Up With a Bettor to Expose Horse-Racing’s Addiction to Drugs

I n a first-of-its-kind lawsuit, a violated state and federal racketeering laws and engaged in fraud by illegally doping a horse used for harness racing. professional bettor, backed by PETA, is alleging that a horse trainer and owner The suit seeks to recoup more than $31,000 in winnings that bettor Jeffrey Tretter believes he was cheated out of when a doped horse, named Tag Up and Go, won a race in New Jersey in 2016. The winner had been a longshot. While final placing of horses in a race can be changed and winning purses redistributed if a horse is shown to have been illegally drugged, bettors are not compensated for their losses. Tretter approached PETA with his concerns about the effect of an illegal substance on a winner’s performance, and the organization immediately saw the importance of the issue. substances. If the industry won’t voluntarily take decisive steps to stop horses from being drugged, perhaps the threat of costly lawsuits will compel it to. Is the ‘Fix’ In? Not only is drugging horses harmful to their health, it can also change the outcome of a race. The horses Tretter correctly picked to place first through fourth instead finished behind Tag Up and Go. He alleges that trainer Robert Bresnahan Jr. and owner JL Sadowsky LLC illegally influenced the outcome of This innovative case opens the door for thousands of horse-racing bettors to sue over the illegal use of medication and prohibited

the race because the winner tested positive for erythropoietin (aka “EPO”), a banned substance that increases the production of red blood cells. Drugged horses are at risk of breaking bones as well as dying, as performance-enhancing drugs often mask their pain, allowing them to race and train with injuries that would otherwise be disabling. In 2014, PETA released an exposé documenting that medication was misused by the horse racing industry. As a result, trainer Steve Asmussen was fined $10,000, New York State introduced sweeping newmedication regulations, and members of Congress sponsored a bill that would put the US Anti-Doping Agency in charge of overseeing medication use and drug violations in horse racing.

T he villager rushed over to me, carrying his dog Mika in his arms. “Look, ma’am. Gumaling na siya! (He’s healed already!),” he announced excitedly. Mika, who had been suffering from severe mange, was one of hundreds of animals – mostly working horses but also dozens of village dogs – who were treated by a PETA Asia–funded team on the picturesque volcanic island of Luzon in the Philippines. Tourists come in droves to see the Taal volcano, and villagers rent out horses to carry them to the summit. But in contrast to the lush, tropical landscape and breathtaking views that draw vacationers, the locals and their horses eke out a meager existence. The animals’ diet is inadequate, and they never receive veterinary care. Day after day, they’re forced to climb the steep, rocky path up the volcano, with no water and little rest before slipping and sliding back down. When not working, they’re tied to trees or posts in muddy lots, often restrained so tightly that they can’t even lower their heads. Villagers FromMiles Around Seek Help for Horses PETA Asia’s team was joined by volunteer veterinarians, a farrier from International Veterinary Outreach, and veterinary students from a local university. The group traveled by boat and set up a veterinary clinic on Luzon, in an expedition that was the first of its kind to the island. Then we went back, again and again. The team treated horses with severe injuries, including “Number 361,” who couldn’t walk as a result of a large laceration on her leg. You could spot Katrina by the huge, fly-covered lump that had grown on her leg because of an untreated wound. Another horse, known only as “Horse 64,” had collapsed from a severe case of colic – a painful stomach condition. A 5-day old foal was leaking urine through his navel.

Most horses needed fundamental care such as vaccinations (especially for tetanus, which is common on the island), parasite control, hoof trimming, tooth filing, and treatment for hematomas, eye worm, saddle sores, and thrush, among other conditions. It was exhilarating to see more than 800 horses feeling so much better – some even saved from the brink of death. We posted notices around the island and worked to earn the trust of the horse owners, as taking the time to get an animal treated can mean a day without pay. The clinics took on a festive atmosphere, drawing crowds of onlookers, including fascinated children, who were given coloring books illustrating proper animal care. Animal guardians were offered inexpensive juice drinks – a surprisingly strong inducement – as an incentive to bring animals back for needed booster vaccines. As people like Mika’s grateful guardian, who was initially skeptical, helped spread the word about the efficacy of the treatments, some villagers walked for hours to get to the clinics. There were lots of exhausting days in muggy conditions and long treks to visit villagers in remote barangays who couldn’t make it to the clinic, but it was exhilarating to see more than 800 horses feeling so much better – some even saved from the brink of death – and the happy smiles on the faces of their caretakers. I can’t wait to go back!

If the trainer in Tretter’s case is found liable under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, he could be required to pay up to three times the amount of the bettor’s losses.

Drugged horses are at risk of breaking bones as well as dying.

Take Action Now Get drugs out of horse racing. US readers, please go to PETA.org/IntegrityAct and urge your congressional representatives to support the Horseracing Integrity Act, which would impose stricter regulations on drug use in racing and help protect horses from abuse.

Show our video at PETA.org/HorseRacing to everyone you know who might be tempted to bet on a horse.

Take Action Now Be a horse’s hero: Donate to PETA’s Global Compassion Fund at PETA.org/GCF .

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