Nine greyhounds suffered broken legs at Massachusetts dog tracks in May,
according to state reports completed by racetrack veterinarians.

That brings to 820 the total number of dogs injured since the state began keeping such reports in 2002, greyhound advocates say.

“These broken legs are indisputable evidence of the cruel nature of this industry,” said Michael Markarian, Executive Vice President of The Humane Society of the United States.

“Dogs should be treated like part of the family, not profit machines at constant risk of suffering a serious injury.”

Broken legs comprise nearly 80 percent all greyhound injuries reported to the state each year. Other reported injuries include spinal cord paralysis, death from cardiac arrest and a broken neck, according to The Committee to Protect Dogs, an animal welfare organization dedicated to passing stronger dog protection laws in the state.

Last week, supporters of a ballot question to phase out commercial dog racing in the Massachusetts announced that they had collected 45,000 signatures with an all-volunteer effort, more than four times the number needed to place the Greyhound Protection Act on the November ballot.

If passed, the proposal would phase out commercial greyhound racing by 2010. Committee co-chairs include representatives of the MSPCA-Angell, the Humane Society of the United States and the greyhound protection group GREY2K USA.