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17 Horses Dead and No Smoke Detector; PETA Statement

For Immediate Release:
June 18, 2026

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

Saratoga, N.Y. –

Please see the following statement from PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo re the recent deaths of 17 horses in a fire at Saratoga Casino Hotel Harness Track:

Seventeen horses burned alive—and there wasn’t even one basic smoke detector or sprinkler in place. Saratoga Casino Hotel Harness Track rakes in tens of millions of dollars in state subsidies every year, yet management couldn’t be bothered to install the most elementary fire protections. This isn’t a regulatory gray area—it’s common sense. Their negligence is indefensible.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

For Media: Contact PETA’s Media Response Team.
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“Almost all of us grew up eating meat, wearing leather, and going to circuses and zoos. We never considered the impact of these actions on the animals involved. For whatever reason, you are now asking the question: Why should animals have rights?”

— Ingrid Newkirk, PETA Founder and co-author of Animalkind

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