Sec.12-574-F27. Paddock judge

(a) Identification of greyhounds.

(1) No greyhound shall be permitted to start in an official schooling or purse race unless said greyhound has been tattooed or microchipped, fully identified and checked against the card index system or other system of identification approved by the division and maintained by each association. The identification cards shall be filled in and completed by the paddock judge before greyhounds are entered for an official schooling or for a purse race.

(2) The paddock judge shall fully identify and check against the system of identification maintained by the association, all greyhounds starting in schooling and purse races. All tattoos shall be identifiable by the paddock judge.

(3) The system of identification must be complete and accurate at all times.

(4) The paddock judge shall report to the racing judges any greyhound not conforming to the system of identification.

(b) Identification tag. As each greyhound is weighed-in there shall be an identification tag attached to its collar indicating the number of the race in which the greyhound is entered and its post position. This tag shall not be removed until the greyhound has been weighed-out and blanketed.

(c) License required. The paddock judge shall not allow anyone to weigh-in a greyhound for racing unless that person has in legal possession a valid kennel owner's, trainer's, assistant trainer's or kennel helper's license issued by the division.

(d) Security of lock-out. After the greyhounds are placed in the lock-out kennels, no persons other than racing officials or persons approved by the division shall be allowed in or near the lock-out kennels.

(e) Identification in paddock. The paddock judge shall verify the proper identification of the greyhound while in the paddock before post time.

(f) Equipment. Before leaving the paddock for the starting box, every greyhound shall be equipped with a regulation muzzle and blanket. The muzzle and blanket used shall be approved by the paddock judge and shall be carefully examined by him in the paddock before the greyhound leaves for the post parade.

(Adopted effective October 3, 2001)