Using live animals as dog-racing lure Phoenix, AZ (US) Incident Date: Monday, Sep 30, 2002 County: Maricopa Local Map: available Disposition: Alleged Alleged: Gregory Wood

Case ID: 757 Classification: Mutilation/Torture Animal: rabbit (wild) View more cases in AZ (US) Login to Watch this Case

The use of live rabbits to train racing dogs has cost a greyhound breeder and owner his contract to race in Phoenix and forced a temporary suspension of his state racing license.

State regulators barred Gregory Wood from racing after documenting his use of domestic rabbits in training greyhounds. Investigators found at least 180 rabbits at Wood's kennel in Maricopa.

It is illegal to use live animals for training, in part because the animals rarely survive the training or are severely injured.  Artificial lures are used at dog parks and are the preferred training method.

A spokeswoman for the Arizona Racetrack Alliance said the track where Wood had been racing his dogs ended Wood's contract as soon as the state findings were known. Wood, when contacted for comment, hung up the telephone.

A four-month investigation by the Arizona Department of Racing found that Wood, operator of Gregory Wood Kennel in Maricopa, used live rabbits to train greyhounds.

It is the first time the state has documented the use of live lures in training greyhounds. There are 44 licensed greyhound facilities in the state.

It was unclear from the state's report, obtained under the state's Public Records Law, how many rabbits were injured or died during training exercises at the Maricopa kennel.

On Oct. 7, investigators observing Wood's operation from a nearby knoll saw a rabbit attached to a training device known as a whirligig. And investigators found a "nearly dead rabbit" just outside the gate leading to the training area. The rabbit died.

The report estimates that there were at least 180 rabbits on the property and indicated that Wood agreed to help Pinal County's Animal Care and Control Department remove them. Jean Decker, director of the animal-control office, said 88 rabbits were taken from the kennel by the end of last week. Her office was able to place 20 of them with the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, but the rest were euthanized for lack of a place to keep them.

Racing stewards have scheduled a hearing to consider Wood's case.

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Animal Cruelty Taskforce of Southern Arizona

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