The legislation banning greyhound racing in New Hampshire did not pass, so the suffering and cruelty inherent in the greyhound industry continues unabated.

Thousands of dogs nationwide are still being killed each year, many culled from litters because of lack of racing potential, others due to failure to show a profit at the track. Many dogs are still sold to research laboratories to endure painful cardiac and other experiments. Still other dogs are sold overseas to race in countries like Ireland, where a common method of disposing of unwanted greyhounds is abandonment with subsequent death by starvation or a slow demise by hanging from a tree in a remote area. In the United States, mass graves have been found of these gentle dogs bludgeoned and dumped one on top of the other.

Yes, some are adopted into homes. But there are already millions of other types of dogs in pounds, shelters, and rescue organizations nationwide desperately needing homes; it is obscene to add to their numbers.

The dogs forced to race at the tracks spend the majority of each day in small crates with minimal human contact, except for racing and training. People adopting former racing dogs often notice their inability to play or climb stairs and their urine-stained hindquarters from being crated for long periods of time.

To learn what you can do to help greyhounds, phone 224-1361. The good news is that revenue from all New Hampshire dog tracks is decreasing significantly each year as a larger segment of the public takes their gambling dollars elsewhere.

BARBARA BONSIGNORE

Concord