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Photos: Dog track closure prompts adoption pleas in Macau
Development and changing tastes have finally caught up with the Yat Yuen Canidrome Club, whose closure this month means the end of a controversial fixture in Macau — legal, regulated dog racing in Asia. Local authorities and animal rights groups are now in the process of finding homes for 533 greyhounds abandoned in kennels on the premises. After failing to rehome the dogs despite a two year notice, the club on Friday, finally announced a joint proposal with Macau animal protection NGO Anima for a shelter for these Greyhounds, until the end of their lives.
Updated on: Aug 02, 2018 11:47 AM IST
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Edith Lam plays with her five-year-old adopted greyhound Garlic from Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome. “He walks slow and he loves to take me to the seaside for walks every night,” Lam said. “I suffered from depression before. I’m not sure whether he saved my life or I saved his,” he added. Garlic is among 533 greyhounds abandoned by the club due to its closure. (Kin Cheung / AP)
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People play Chinese chess in front of the club’s entrance. Dog races were held here in Macau for half a century, up to five nights a week — a constant in this former Portuguese colony even as high-stakes casinos and concert venues sprouted up to offer newer, glitzier entertainment options. (Kin Cheung / AP)
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Greyhounds swim for exercise. To keep in top racing form, the dogs receive brief exercise with walks and swims and make visits to the in-house veterinarian. (Kin Cheung / AP)
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A greyhound receives medical treatment. Tucked next to an old Portuguese fort, the Canidrome was for years the only track on the continent to allow betting on greyhound races. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, a total of 72 dogs would raced in 12 heats, sprinting after a mechanical rabbit-shaped lure. (Kin Cheung / AP)
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Gamblers place bets on races. The company said many greyhounds retire in peace after their racing life ends after three or four years of competition. But animal rights groups have long accused the club of mistreating dogs and euthanising underperformers or older racers, and campaigned for the club’s closure. (Kin Cheung / AP)
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The Macau government ordered the Canidrome to move out of the downtown area two years ago amid a push for urban redevelopment. But the firm operating the track, Yat Yuen, failed to rehome the animals in time for the shutdown. Macau’s angry government stepped in to guarantee the dogs’ safety, slamming Yat Yuen as irresponsible and threatening heavy fines. (Kin Cheung / AP)
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Local authorities, along with animal rights groups, are now in the process of finding homes for the 533 greyhounds abandoned in kennels on the premises. For months, activists and local officials have been asking volunteers to take care of the remaining dogs or adopt them. (Kin Cheung / AP)
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Yat Yuen finally seems to cave to public and political pressure last Friday, announcing a joint proposal with Macau animal protection NGO Anima which would see the dogs looked after at the Canidrome for another two months at the firm’s expense and then be moved to a newly renovated shelter, where any who are not adopted would be cared for until the end of their lives. (Kin Cheung / AP)
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