The owners of the greyhound racing franchise in Texas have been banned from owning dogs in the state, after a Texas Department of Agriculture investigation found their business had not met the state’s breed standards.
The Department of Animal Services found that a “pattern of unethical practices” was discovered during an inspection of the business, which runs out of a small building in the Houston suburb of Katy.
It concluded that “no greyhound breeder/owner in Texas has been found to have complied with the requirements of the Texas Health and Safety Code regarding the welfare of its animals.”
Officials with the Department of Environmental Quality were contacted by the owners after they began working on a plan to resolve the situation.
The company that owns the greyhounds, Greyhound Racing, is based in the city of Katy, located about an hour north of Dallas.
The company had previously had its license renewed after two previous licensing issues and was required to post a $50,000 bond to pay for a court hearing in March.
A Texas Department Of Agriculture spokesman declined to comment on the matter.
The agency’s inspector general reported in August that a company called Greyhound Academy had failed to post $25,000 in bond money as required under Texas law.
The Texas Attorney General’s Office in October issued a similar order against Greyhound’s business, accusing the company of failing to comply with the health and safety code.
A number of other greyhound businesses in Texas are facing similar investigations, according to a Texas-based nonprofit group that monitors greyhound licenses.
