PAWS: Outreach

Twenty Years of Suicide Erasers

PAWS began its campaign against the Suicide Race in the mid-1980's, not coincidentally when the rate of injury and death to Suicide Race horses became much better documented. Prior to PAWS' involvement, the damage done by the race to its equine participants was closely guarded. Race officials still try to deflect the glare of negative publicity, a dodge they are finding increasingly impossible. In the past 20 years, PAWS has received thousands of emails, media phone calls and letters from people around the world protesting the cruelty and senselessness of this race.

Washington law prohibits the "injury or death of animals for amusement or gain" and RCW16.52.205 description of animal cruelty is (1) A person is guilty of animal cruelty in the first degree when, except as authorized in law, he or she intentionally (a) inflicts substantial pain on, (b) causes physical injury to, or (c) kills an animal by a means causing undue suffering, or forces a minor to inflict unnecessary pain, injury, or death on an animal. PAWS attempted to enforce this in court beginning in 1993 however; the local court decided PAWS did not have jurisdiction in Okanogan County.

Also questioned in court was the Suicide Race in itself being a legal event in a rodeo. This was also thrown out of court as Omak City officials claimed it is well within the law to do so under the guise of RCW 16.52.185's clause "normal and usual course of rodeo events." No other example of this type of 'event' occurring at a rodeo has been found in the United States. For example, the Ellensburg Rodeo, also in Eastern Washington and supported by the Yakima Indian Nation, was founded in 1923 and is one of the Top 25 rodeos in the United States. The Ellensburg Rodeo does not feature any type of event remotely similar to the Suicide Race.

In 1996, a PAWS staffer was attacked and unlawfully arrested while filming the deadly race. He filed suit. A quote from the resulting settlement stated that the PAWS representative "was injured, falsely arrested, jailed and charged with second-degree trespass and resisting arrest... while working to videotape the deadly horse race. The charges against the PAWS staffer were later dropped when a recovered audio portion of the videotape - thrown in to the river by the defendant - demonstrated that some of the sheriffs deputies' statements were untrue and the arrest unlawful."

PAWS will continue to pursue Suicide Race organizers and participants through the court of public opinion. We look forward to the day when the law will be properly applied and allowed to protect defenseless animals from this wanton abuse.

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