HAMBURG, NEW YORK , UNITED STATES , July 9, 2022 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Today, Animal Wellness Action (AWA) executive director Marty Irby issued the following statement regarding the death of "Heavy Handed Hannah" that occurred at Buffalo Raceway on Friday, July 8, 2022 during the third race of the day where the horse's leg snapped in half mid-race. The New York State Gaming Commission's equine death and injury database confirms the horse's death.

"We are saddened to see yet another racehorse death in the world of harness racing and call on the U.S. Trotting Association and its members to join in supporting the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act that took effect last week by opting into the anti-doping program, and oversight under the new national standards," said Marty Irby, executive director at Animal Wellness Action who was honored in 2020 by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, II for his work to protect horses. "As the body count continues to climb, these rampant deaths continue to turn the betting public away from the horse racing industry. The video showing 'Heavy Handed Hannah' racing until her leg snapped in half would make most any American cringe."

Animal Wellness Action has been leading the charge to end these type deaths in American horse racing and Irby testified before the U.S. Congress in 2020 in support of the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act that was signed into law in 2020 with implementation delayed until last Friday, July 1.

Just this week Animal Wellness Action launched a new watchdog site www.HISAWatchDog.org to help hold the new Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority accountable.

While the new law applies only to Thoroughbred racing at this time, provisions allow for the harness racing and Quarter Horse racing industry to opt-in to the program, but the U.S. Trotting Association has worked to undermine and oppose the new law at every turn.

The video of the injury "Heavy Handed Hannah" sustained can be found here under race 3 on July 8, 2022.

Animal Wellness 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.

Marty Irby
Animal Wellness Action
+1 202-821-5686
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