Animal rights advocates demand Canidrome closure

Animal rights advocates have urged the government to shut down Macau’s dog racing stadium after the current concession contract expires this year. The Macau Society for the Protection of Animals (Anima) stressed that the “low profitable” operations at the Canidrome cause pain and injury to the greyhounds and around thirty are euthanized every month.
The Canidrome is managed by greyhound racing company Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome Co Ltd, and controlled by Stanley Ho’s Sociedade de Turismo e Diversões de Macau SA (STDM). Last Saturday, Anima began a petition calling on  the Chief Executive to terminate the contract for Yat Yuen Canidrome and finally call off the gambling-related sport.
“A quick glance at the Canidrome’s website will give you regular updates on the type of injuries suffered by their dogs because of racing –
crucial information for gamblers to decide which dog to bet on or not. They are sadly euthanized at an average rate of 30 per month, even at the young age of two or three years old after they are found to be not ‘profitable,’” Anima reports.
Besides criticizing the exploitation of those greyhounds imported from Australia, the group also stressed that the program constitutes only an insignificant portion of Macau’s gaming revenue, and perpetuates gambling in a densely populated peninsula area. Instead, the group suggests freeing up the land for public housing or a “well-needed” public central park.
The dog-racing track at the Yat Yuen Canidrome was first opened in 1931 and, after 25 years of closesure, reopened in 1963. Last week, the Canidrome’s deputy president, Angela Leong, called on the government to keep the stadium, since “it is a collective memory of Macau residents and has important historic and tourism value” to the city.
“We cannot forget the history that in those days the Canidrome fostered the entire development of Macau’s economy. In its promotional videos, the Macau Government Tourist Office mentions dog racing (…). This activity has actually history,” she told the media.
In response, Anima’s president Albano Martins refuted that, “only if it is historical value for her, because it’s not for the community that lives there and it’s not for sure for the animals. We are living in the 21st century, we are not in the middle ages.”