I’m with Glimmerglass. Perhaps the gentleman had a Bell gun Not an unuseful thing for a track vet to own, and als, perhaps the animal was frantic and in danger of injuring anyone attempting to stabilize him for an IV injection.
JSwan–it’s not that the permit has restrictions-it’s the private property owner. You can have an unrestricted permit to carry a concealed weapon and private property owners can still bar you from carrying on their property.
I would assume the reason tracks in general likely ban firearms is concerns about the public side, with betting, large amounts of cash on hand, and alcohol consumption (I don’t think I’ve been in a casino that allows people to carry, either.) I could also see the vet having a Bell gun (do those fall under normal gun laws?)
At the zoo, we use chemical euthanasia when putting animals down. The firearms on hand (locked down by the lead staff in a location which I do not know) are Remmington 870s with slug loads, but the assumption is if an animals’ being destroyed with a firearm it’s an escape situation and you’re firing at distance, and the target area is the shoulder, not the head. (The closest we’d have to a horse would be a zebra, which are always classed as dangerous on escape.) The point is to knock the animal down immediately so it doesn’t hurt anyone.
Has there been any official articles posted on this (from a Newspaper, Bloodhorse?)
It would not surprise me in the slightest if he had a hand gun in his possession, knowing who this Vet is, and his colorful past.
Really. :yes:
Yes, this just came out on the Daily Racing Form:
By Matt Hegarty
Dr. Thomas J. Lurito, a veterinarian who practices at Philadelphia Park, has been ruled off the grounds of the track while the racing commission investigates an incident in which the vet allegedly shot an injured filly in order to euthanize her, according to officials of the track and the trainer of the horse.
The injured filly, 4-year-old Rich and Mean, was allegedly shot by the veterinarian in her stall at Philadelphia approximately two weeks ago after attempts to repair an injured knee did not produce measurable results, according to Ralph Riviezzo, her trainer. Riviezzo said that he had no idea that the veterinarian would use a firearm to euthanize the filly, and that he was not present when the filly was shot.
“I didn’t know how they were going to euthanize her,” Riviezzo said on Tuesday. “I was away. I got a phone call the next day that said that they put her down that way. One might argue how humane that is, but I will not get into that argument.”
Though gunshot is considered an acceptable and humane method for euthanizing horses under standards developed by equine veterinarians, horses at racetracks and medical facilities are typically euthanized with an injection first of a sedative and then an injection of barbiturates - usually, sodium pentobarbital - to induce cardiac arrest.
Riviezzo declined to identify the veterinarian. Chris Ryder, a spokesman for the state racing commission, confirmed that the veterinarian was Dr. Lurito. Ryder also confirmed that Lurito has been ruled off the grounds at Philadelphia Park until the investigation is complete.
Reached by telephone on Tuesday, Lurito said he would not comment on the incident.
Mike Melendez, a steward at Philadelphia Park, also would not comment other than to confirm that the incident was under investigation.
Ryder would not provide additional details about the investigation, other than to confirm that the investigation involved the allegation that a horse was shot by a veterinarian who had been hired to euthanize her.
“At this point, we are not able to make any additional comments until the investigation is complete,” Ryder said.
Riviezzo said that it was his understanding that Lurito was ruled off the grounds for having a firearm at the racetrack.
Rich and Mean, a 4-year-old daughter of Distinctive Pro, last raced on May 28, finishing eighth of nine in a six-furlong maiden claiming race for a price of $10,500. Riviezzo said that she injured her knee in that race, but that he could not recall the exact date that she was put down. Rich and Mean had raced six times in her career, and had failed to hit the board in all six of those starts.
[QUOTE=ASB Stars;4169027]
It would not surprise me in the slightest if he had a hand gun in his possession, knowing who this Vet is, and his colorful past.
Really. :yes:[/QUOTE]
I beg to differ in your opinion of Tom Lurito… He is probably the best Vet there is at Philadelphia Park and would rather actually- “WORK” on a horse than immediatley going to blocking and tapping and everything else many of the vets at that track do!
He is a very vibrant person but a DAMN GOOD VET!! I have used him on numerous occassions and wish he was actually at the track 7 days a week rather than the 3 days he comes!!
Interesting. Here I was thinking the horse was shot on the track after some horrific breakdown.
[QUOTE=Dispatcher;4169124]
Interesting. Here I was thinking the horse was shot on the track after some horrific breakdown.[/QUOTE]
Me too.
[QUOTE=Nyminute09;4169122]
I beg to differ in your opinion of Tom Lurito… He is probably the best Vet there is at Philadelphia Park and would rather actually- “WORK” on a horse than immediatley going to blocking and tapping and everything else many of the vets at that track do!
He is a very vibrant person but a DAMN GOOD VET!! I have used him on numerous occassions and wish he was actually at the track 7 days a week rather than the 3 days he comes!![/QUOTE]
I used him many years ago- and I wouldn’t have him on the farm, at this point. In my opinion, he is morally, and ethically, bankrupt.
So, you see, we do not agree.
And now, he is a gun toting fella…really a class act, all the way around.
[QUOTE=ASB Stars;4169245]
I used him many years ago- and I wouldn’t have him on the farm, at this point. In my opinion, he is morally, and ethically, bankrupt.
So, you see, we do not agree.
And now, he is a gun toting fella…really a class act, all the way around.[/QUOTE]
No we do not agree… but what is funny is if you think he is morally and ethically bankrupt you should never set foot on the backside of the racetrack because MANY of those vets are without conscience- doing anything and giving anything under the sun to help some trainers win races-- even if it means endangering riders lives…
That is morally and ethically bankrupt- Tom Lurito is NONE OF THOSE!! He may be vibrant, but his best interest is THE HORSE!!
Really? Have you seen HIS horses? :dead:
Our farm uses Dr. Lurito. He’s a very good vet and a wonderful person to deal with. I am sure that if he shot the filly there was a very good reason for it and I wouldn’t second guess his judgement.
And yes, I have seen his personal horses. He found me my first horse straight from the track. You couldn’t have found a horse with a better mind and a more willing temperament. My trainer and I picked up the horse from his farm and spent a few hours there talking with his wife and meeting their animals. They were lovely and in great condition.
I don’t care if he’s “vibrant” or not, he’s a good vet and will do whatever he can to help the horse. I know this firsthand because he tried to nurse the horse he found for me through a bad impaction. He was out there at all hours despite initially telling me that the horse didn’t have a great chance of making it through the first night. Ultimately the horse was put down (passed the initial impaction, was fine for a few days and then got impacted again–I knew he was in pain and it was time to let him go) but Dr. Lurito really went above and beyond.
I was told he shot the filly on the track after a morning work.Why would someone put a horse down in a stall(regardless of the method)…doesn’t that make for a difficult removal of the body??Something smells fishy here.
[QUOTE=Dispatcher;4169124]
Interesting. Here I was thinking the horse was shot on the track after some horrific breakdown.[/QUOTE]
As did I. And that made more sense (to me) to use a gun then euthing a filly in her stall…
Obviously I wasn’t there, and I can’t speak to the exact circumstances, but I am surprised to read that the filly had been injured some time before she was put down.
Remember that game of telephone all of us over 50 used to play when we were kids? You start at one end of a row of kids with one sentence–and by the time it is passed down through the row–my how the story changes.
It was not in the stall, the horse’s condition had apparently deteriorated from when she was injured a few days earlier. None of the people on this forum were there (and btw, I was not either) and these details reported here are all hearsay! Even the BloodHorse has some of it wrong.
Suffice it to say, the matter is being handled, and yes, Dr. Lurito has a huge fan base at Pha.
[quote=shalomypony;4169994]
Why would someone put a horse down in a stall(regardless of the method)…doesn’t that make for a difficult removal of the body??quote]
Yes and no…I have seen vets put horses down in their stalls at the track. They just bring in the small bobcat and chains to remove the horse from the stall.
Yes and no…I have seen vets at the track put horses down in their stalls. They just bring in the small bobcat with chains and remove the horse that way.
That game was Whisper Down the Lane!
This is confusing. The DRF and the Blood horse have the facts wrong ?But you know that she was not put down in the stall even though you weren’t there? ARRGHH!!! Does anyone KNOW what happened? Guess it will remain a mystery…
Well, without a shred of “whisper down the lane”, suffice it to say that “one ball Tom” (he informed me of his physical issue- I didn’t ask for proof) has lost a substantial amount of his fan base in Chester County. I am thrilled that he can still make a living. If he is thrown out of Philly Park, that will, obviously, put a crimp in his livelyhood.
I heard today that the vet was handed a 90-day suspension. Not allowed to have a firearm on the backstretch.
