PETA Statement: Rumored Whipping Ban Compromise

For Immediate Release:
March 28, 2019

Contact:
David Perle 202-483-7382

Please see the following statement from PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo regarding the rumored weakening of the Santa Anita racetrack’s ban on whipping:

Jockey Mike Smith’s statement to the media yesterday that there may be a compromise on Santa Anita’s whipping ban had better not be true. To the racing industry, the ban may sound progressive, but to the public, repeatedly striking horses is visible and obvious cruelty to animals. The public may not know the ins and outs of the Lasix debate, but it does see that horses are being beaten and dying—and it understands that the jockeys are fighting for the right to abuse animals. Many more people in California support PETA—700,000 of them—than go to the racetrack, and we’ll let them know if the California Horse Racing Board tries to undo Santa Anita’s rule.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.