Janet Forrer is a Tucson veterinarian and the treasurer for Tucson Dog Protection, a group promoting a ballot initiative to improve the lives of dogs in South Tucson.

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Greyhounds need the protection offered by South Tucson initiative Greyhounds need the protection offered by South Tucson initiative

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I am one of 98 Tucson-area veterinarians who have endorsed the Tucson Dog Protection Act, a ballot measure designed to improve the lives of dogs in South Tucson and especially for the 540 greyhounds at Tucson Greyhound Park.

This modest measure establishes that dogs deserve wholesome food and regular exercise, and shouldn't be given anabolic steroids.

Track dogs are routinely fed uncooked byproducts that are unfit for human consumption. Although some people feed their pets raw meat, high-quality meat is always recommended, certainly not the raw meat fed to the dogs at the track.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture declares as unfit for human consumption the meat of diseased, dying, disabled or animals already dead upon arrival at slaughter plants, but this is what the track allows dogs to be fed, even though the Food and Drug Administration recommends this meat not be fed raw to any animal. FDA studies show high levels of bacteria in this meat, including E. coli and salmonella. The uncooked meat can make the dogs too sick to race and it endangers workers at the track.

The FDA has shown that bacteria can and has spread from dog tracks to workers' homes and families.

The Tucson Dog Protection Act would require that either the meat be cooked or that better quality food be served.

Track dogs are kept in small cages 22 to 23 hours a day for their entire racing careers. The Tucson Dog Protection Act would require that dogs spend no more than 18 hours in a cage. Just how the dogs spent the other six hours would be up to the track and to kennel operators.

A separate building, like a doggy day care, could be arranged, as could tarps and shade trees and water features. Early morning and evenings would be nice times to spell the dogs.

Female greyhounds are routinely given anabolic steroids to prevent heat cycles. Continued administration of anabolic steroids can result in serious physical problems, including urinary tract infections, permanent malformation of dogs' genitalia and liver problems.

For centuries before the development of steroids, greyhounds were segregated by sex, and this could easily be arranged, either by kennel or from track to track.

Track officials have not disputed that the dogs in South Tucson are routinely fed raw meat from diseased, dying, disabled or dead animals, that the dogs spend 22 to 23 hours a day caged in windowless rooms, and that the females are given male sex hormones.

If anyone else fed their dogs such food, crated them more than 18 hours a day, and injected them with dangerous drugs, people would call that animal abuse.

Sadly, that is exactly what life is like for the 540 greyhounds at Tucson Greyhound Park.

It is no wonder so many veterinarians are supporting the Tucson Dog Protection initiative.

We urge you to do so as well. Dogs deserve better.