PETA co-sponsor of bill addressing equine veterinary care

A California legislator said he has introduced a bill that would place significant restrictions on equine veterinarians operating at state racetracks and mandate the use of CT scanning on racehorses.

The bill, which was introduced by Assemblyman Ash Kalra on Tuesday, would require the establishment of ontrack pharmacies for the dispensation of all medications that would be administered to racehorses, an idea that was quixotically embraced several years ago by the former head of The Stronach Group, the company that owns Santa Anita Park. It would also require that a trainer’s license be suspended if a trainer’s horse suffers a fatality “pending an investigation,” according to a release from the legislator.

The release stated that the legislation is “co-sponsored” by PETA, the animal-rights organization that has led aggressive anti-racing campaigns in California and elsewhere over the past several years, and a group called Social Compassion in Legislation, another animal-rights organization.

The bill is a counterweight to another piece of legislation that was introduced last month to the California Senate that would codify a number of protocols that have already been implemented at state racetracks. That bill was introduced by Sen. Bill Dodd, with the tentative backing of the racing industry.