Following an epidemic of equine fatalities at nearby Santa Anita Park, Los Angeles is considering becoming the first major U.S. city to place an outright ban on horse racing.
At a meeting this week, the Los Angeles Board of Animal Services discussed a motion which would prohibit racing and off-track betting in L.A. Animal Services will consider a motion Tuesday recommending that the city go on record as supporting a ban on all activities related to horse racing.
Animal Services commissioner Roger Wolfson, who also encouraged the board to pass a motion banning rodeos in LA, said he was hopeful the city could take a “real stand” on the issue of horse racing.
“We’re the department of animal services, not the department of companion animal services, and anything that affects the well-being of animals in Los Angeles is in our purview,” Wolfson told City News Service. “This wasn’t a political calculation. Look, 30 horses have died at Santa Anita; that’s a nearby city. We’re concerned about it.”
Located in Arcadia, Santa Anita claimed the lives of 30 horses over the six-month meet which wrapped on June 23.
If passed in L.A., the ban would not apply to Arcadia or its now-infamous track.
Editor’s Note: RealClearLife, a news and lifestyle publisher, is now a part of InsideHook. Together, we’ll be covering current events, pop culture, sports, travel, health and the world. Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.
Whether you’re looking to get into shape, or just get out of a funk, The Charge has got you covered. Sign up for our new wellness newsletter today.
