Like the rest of you, I’ve read with great interest over the years how much the animal rights group PETA cares about the welfare of our horses.
You know the drill. They’ve picketed outside Del Mar, claiming abuse of the horses. They’ve been very vocal in their distaste for horse racing.
So like many of you, I was curious to know how much PETA chipped in to help in the aftermath of last week’s San Luis Rey tragedy.
I sent emails to a couple of executives in the industry, Mike Willman of Santa Anita and Mac McBride, who’s been at Del Mar for a good number of years, to find out the extent of PETA’s involvement in the relief efforts.
Here’s what they told me:
“I have not heard about them donating a single penny,” Willman wrote.
I can’t share with you the rest of Willman’s email because this is a family newspaper.
McBride’s reply concerning PETA’s involvement?
“Nada. Zip. Zilch.”
Turns out, PETA did reach out to the industry in the days following the fire at San Luis Rey.
Kathy Guillermo, senior vice president of PETA, emailed the Southern California News Group with details about her organization’s actions following the tragedy.
Guillermo’s email reads, in part: “I was in touch with the Stronach Group, which owns San Luis Rey, on Dec. 8 and was assured they were on their way to assess the needs. I contacted Joe Harper at Del Mar on Dec. 11. Mr. Harper told me that there had been an outpouring of volunteers — more than 300 on the first day — and thousands of dollars in donations. I was thus assured that all needs were being taken care of.”
Santa Anita and Del Mar spearheaded an effort to raise much-needed money and supplies in the wake of the San Luis Rey nightmare. They started a gofundme page that, as of 1:55 p.m. Thursday, had raised more than $637,000.
But it’s still a fact that not one penny came from PETA, the self-described champion of animal rights, and no member of the group showed up to join other volunteers.
Yes, PETA made two phone calls. But while they were “in touch” with officials from Southern California’s two major race tracks, thousands of others were busy either donating money or actually on the grounds offering physical support.
The stories continue to pour in:
- A groom from Peter Miller’s San Luis Rey Downs barn, Leo Tapia, risked his life to set many of the horses free so they would not burn to death.
- Trainer Martine Bellocq suffered life-threatening burns over most of her body while trying to rescue her horses.
- After Dream Tree won last Saturday’s Starlet Stakes at Los Alamitos, the filly’s owner, Phoenix Thoroughbreds, said on Twitter that they donated “a huge percentage” of the winner’s share of $180,000 to the various charities related to the San Luis Rey Downs fire.
- Thoroughbred owner Kaleem Shah said he was personally going to write a $400 check to every groom affected by the fire.
- Jim McIngvale, a horse owner better known as McMattress Mack, donated a countless number of mattresses, box springs and bed frames for the displaced grooms, whose lives were rocked by the fire.
- Jockey Rajiv Maragh donated a portion of his earnings for a week to the victims, and encouraged other riders to do the same.
I’m sure there are many other heart-warming stories that have yet to be told. It’s just an example of how much these horses are loved and cared for and how people were willing to risk their lives to save them.
Editor’s note: This column was updated and revised to reflect PETA’s comments.
