ALBANY, CALIFORNIA , USA, February 23, 2021 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Following the death of two racehorses at Golden Gate Fields, "Sweet Boy" and "My Three Kids," Animal Wellness Action executive director Marty Irby, who testified before Congress in support of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA) that was signed into law on December 27, 2020, issued the following statement on behalf of Animal Wellness Action and the Los Angeles based Animal Wellness Foundation:

“We’re astounded to see the number of deaths that continue to occur in California at Golden Gate and other tracks, but we’re confident the anti-doping legislation signed into law in December will help curb the number of injuries and deaths in the future.

“But there’s much more to be done to bring U.S. horse racing to an acceptable level of welfare standards and both Golden Gate and racing authorities should evaluate and improve track surfaces, implement a ban on the whip, and establish policies that prevent American racehorses from ending up dead on the track or in the slaughter pipeline. Our iconic American equines deserve better.”

Irby, who was recently honored by Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth, II for his work to protect American equines led the charge within the animal protection space in support of HISA and has long advocated ending the use of the whip, and for the passage of the Safeguard American Food Exports (SAFE) Act, led by U.S. Reps. Jan Schakowsky (D-IL), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), and U.S. Sens. Bob Menendez (D-NJ), and Lindsey Graham (R-SC) would ban horse slaughter on U.S. soil, and ban the transport of American equines for the purposes of slaughter.

Animal Wellness Action (Action) is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) organization with a mission of helping animals by promoting legal standards forbidding cruelty. We champion causes that alleviate the suffering of companion animals, farm animals, and wildlife. We advocate for policies to stop dogfighting and cockfighting and other forms of malicious cruelty and to confront factory farming and other systemic forms of animal exploitation. To prevent cruelty, we promote enacting good public policies, and we work to enforce those policies. To enact good laws, we must elect good lawmakers, and that’s why we remind voters which candidates care about our issues and which ones don’t. We believe helping animals helps us all.

The Animal Wellness Foundation (Foundation) is a Los Angeles-based private charitable organization with a mission of helping animals by making veterinary care available to everyone with a pet, regardless of economic ability. We organize rescue efforts and medical services for dogs and cats in need and help homeless pets find a loving caregiver. We are advocates for getting veterinarians to the front lines of the animal welfare movement; promoting responsible pet ownership; and vaccinating animals against infectious diseases such as distemper. We also support policies that prevent animal cruelty and that alleviate suffering. We believe helping animals helps us all.

Marty Irby
Animal Wellness Action
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Marty Irby before the Horseracing Integrity Act hearing