Calls to abolish horse racing in East Vancouver after latest animal death

File: Horses kick up mud as they round a corner during a stakes race at Hastings Racecourse in Vancouver, B.C., on Monday July 2, 2012. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck)

There are calls to abolish horse racing in East Vancouver following another death at the Hastings Racecourse.

The racehorse Gem Dancer collapsed and died following an event on Sunday, during a period of elevated temperatures that Environment and Climate Change Canada called an “early season heat event.”

In a news release, the Vancouver Humane Society suggested the horse died due to heat exhaustion, and called the incident “preventable.” The charitable organization also submitted a report to city council the following day asking officials to end horse racing at the facility when its operating agreement expires next year.

“The VHS is urging decision-makers to support a move away from horse racing at Hastings Park and toward alternative land use that offers potential for long-term economic resilience, greater public utilization of space, and alignment with public values and interest,” the charity said.

B.C.’s Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General told CTV News that Gem Dancer’s cause of death has not been confirmed, but she was taken to the Animal Health Centre for a necropsy.

In a statement, the ministry confirmed the horse “began showing signs of distress” and collapsed shortly after being led off the track on Sunday.

She was attended to by a veterinarian from the Gaming Policy and Enforcement Branch – which regulates the B.C. horseracing industry – along with several others onlookers, but could not be saved, officials said.

“Despite efforts to cool the horse down, and after being in distress for (approximately two minutes), Gem Dancer became unresponsive and was pronounced deceased by the attending veterinarian,” the ministry said, in its statement.

There were four deaths at Hastings Racecourse last year, three of which were related to races. One took place during training.

That amounts to 1.78 deaths per 1,000 starts, according to the province. The Vancouver Humane Society said that rate is “markedly higher” than the industry average, and “almost double the 0.90 fatality rate at tracks regulated by the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority.”

No deaths were recorded at Faser Downs Racetrack last year.