AS a proud owner of two ex-racing greyhounds, I would like to draw reader's attention to the greyhound racing industry. According to racing industry figures, about 25,000 greyhounds are bred each year in the British Isles - but the true number is undoubtedly many thousands more. Only a small percentage will survive beyond the first few years of life.

Greyhounds running on British tracks sustain thousands of injuries every year and ten per cent of dogs that race do so while already injured.

At least 10,000 greyhounds "retire" from racing every year, at an average age of just two to three years old, either through injury or because they are adjudged to be no longer good enough to race. Many ex-racing greyhounds are simply abandoned or killed - sometimes by extremely cruel methods, such as beating, drowning or poisoning, because some "owners" and trainers are not prepared to pay the cost of having them "put to sleep."

To prevent this massive slaughter and suffering of dogs, greyhound racing must be abolished, as has already happened in many parts of the USA, where six states have banned it since 1993. In the meantime, please avoid attending or betting on greyhound racing, so that it comes to an end through lack of finance and support.

Miss Linda Anne Bukac, Bar Terrace, Falmouth