Home Page
Action Alerts
Articles
Campaigns
Events
How Can I Help?
Letters
Who We Are
Links

We advocate on all animal protection and exploitation issues, including experimentation, factory farming, rodeos, breeders and traveling animal acts.

Animal Defenders of Westchester
P.O. Box 205
Yonkers, NY 10704

Action Alerts

Contact Mayor re: Horseracing

Rumor has it that horseracing may not remain welcome at Yonkers Raceway. A number of recent articles have indicated both the downside of horseracing to the neighborhood, coupled with track-goers who don't seem to miss the horseracing, in favor of newly-installed slot machines.  Indeed, the race horse exploiters held their own demonstration a few weeks ago.  

We placed the following letter in today's THE JOURNAL NEWS; it was written before the newest tragedy on 11/5, where a horse died and another was injured during the Breeders Cup.

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061106/OPINION/611060310/1016/OPINION02 

Racing is bad for horses and humans

A number of excellent recent articles point up the problems at Yonkers Raceway. Of particular interest was the report that the new slot machines were more popular than the horse races.

After Barbaro's tragic accident on May 7, renewed attention was given to the problems surrounding this exploitative sport - such as overbreeding, young horses raced before their legs were strong enough, and discarded horses with broken spirits being shipped to auctions and slaughterhouses; along with the prevalent horse-drugging and money scandals that have plagued the horse racing industry for years. And despite knowing that facilities like it were facing public scrutiny, Yonkers Raceway was recently caught dumping animal and human feces into the Bronx River and were fined over $9 million as a result (Oct. 13 story.) Exposure to high levels of fecal coliform bacteria in water can cause gastrointestinal illness, hepatitis, skin and eye infections and can damage fish and wildlife habitats. Previous articles mentioned raceway neighborhood inhabitants complaining about the smells wafting from the racetrack - all the more reason to forsake horse racing for slot machines.

Horse racing is a business; animals are whipped to make them run fast. When the animals can generate no more profit, when they get sick, go blind, become lame, they are sold at auction. These beautiful, sensitive souls deserve better. And since people are happy to gamble without equine involvement, now is the time Yonkers Raceway should bet on compassion as the winning ticket.

Kiley Blackman
Yonkers

The writer is a spokesperson for Animal Defenders of Westchester.

Please contact Yonkers Mayor Philip Amicone and urge him to forsake horse racing at Yonkers Raceway; use all pertinent reasons in addition to compassion:

EMAIL: [email protected] 

CC:    BERNICE SPRECKMAN, LEGISLATOR
      [email protected] 

      DEE BARBATO, YONKERS CITY COUNCIL
      [email protected] 

      ANDREW SPANO, CEO
      [email protected] 

---

Fair Use Notice: This document may contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owners. We believe that this not-for-profit, educational use on the Web constitutes a fair use of the copyrighted material (as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law). If you wish to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.