MIAMI, May 3 (UPI) -- More than 100 racing greyhouds tested positive for cocaine over the past three years at race tracks in Florida, the Tampa Tribune reported Monday.
"This is a shocking development" said Grey 2K USA President Carey Theil. "It is a disturbing pattern of behavior that calls into question the integrity of wagers being placed at Florida dog tracks.
Theil said the report raises questions about drug testing procedures.
The state Division of Pari-Mutuel Wagering, which regulates the state's 16 dog tracks, does not alert police when a dog tests positive for cocaine, and it does not investigate how the drug was transmitted.
Division officials said the positive tests are most likely the result of incidental contact, rather than an attempt to fix races.
National Greyhound Association President Chuck Marriott said a dog trainer could have cocaine "on his hands and he brushes the dog with his hand, the drug goes into the dog."
