Effective January 1, 2011, dog racing will no longer be legal in the state of New Hampshire thanks to HB 630.
New Hampshire House Bill 630 makes live dog racing in the state illegal, but allows race license holders to run simulcasts of races underway in other locations.
The New Hampshire ban follows one in Massachusetts that took effect January 2010. This was Massachusetts’ second try at passing legislation to outlaw the sport. A similar bill, submitted in 2000, didn’t gain enough voter approval to pass.
According to the Humane Society of the U.S. (HSUS), more than 800 injuries to racing dogs were reported in Massachusetts from 2002 through 2008. In addition, the animals were confined to small cages for at least 20 hours a day.