Canidrome renewal | IACM conducts regular inspections, no comment on greyhound treatment

The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) has clarified that it conducts regular inspections of the greyhounds housed at Macau’s Yat Yuen Canidrome facility, though it would not comment on the condition or treatment of the animals.
The greyhound-racing facility has come under fire in recent weeks after local animal rights group Anima (Macau) challenged Canidrome representatives to a live televised debate on the merits of keeping the track open. The government is expected to make a decision this year on the facility’s renewal.
A representative of IACM told the Times that the dogs at the facility are quarantined mandatorily by IACM and are vaccinated against rabies on a regular basis by their veterinarian staff.
IACM did not respond to requests for a statement on the treatment of greyhounds at the Canidrome. This is despite the fact that their “regular inspections” give them frequent access to the site.
The organization is also responsible for granting licenses for the import of live animals to Macau, all of which are required to undergo a health inspection, as stated on IACM’s website.
Additionally, according to a statement released by the organization, the veterinary staff provide services to the IACM-run Macau and Coloane Kennels, where as many as 100 captured dogs are kept.

IACM’s headquarters

Under the Municipal Code, the captured dogs are kept for 72 hours while authorities wait for owners to reclaim them. Some captured or abandoned dogs are made available for adoption once approved by IACM’s veterinarians, however a representative of the bureau was unable to clarify by press time as to what happens to the rest of the captured dogs once the 72-hour period expires.
“The Macau and Coloane Kennels provide a clean and safe shelter for keeping captured and abandoned dogs temporarily. They are fed and taken care of by staff and vets of the municipal kennel, including veterinary care,” read a statement from the bureau.
Lawmaker Pereira Coutinho told the Times this week that he believes the Canidrome will be successful in lobbying for a renewal but they will “probably close down.”
“I think that the [Canidrome] company wants to close down the facility but they want to trade something in exchange [for that], as compensation. Maybe they are after the plot of land,” said Coutinho. “Then they can build some residential housing on that land.”
New Macau Association (ANM) president Scott Chiang told the Times that nearby residents are uninterested in the dog racing activities at the center, and many do not even know that they are taking place.
“We actually held a workshop last year in the neighborhood next to the facility where we collected opinions about what this place means to them,” explained Chiang. “Most people don’t care. Many do not even know what is going on there.”
“It is therefore not of great value to people nearby,” he added.
Asked whether Chiang thinks that the facility will be renewed this year he replied: “I am not going to guess their [the government’s] motives but the reasonable thing to do is to end the contract that is earning basically no profit.”
According to Anima (Macau) President Albano Martins, the Canidrome has only managed to stay financially afloat in recent years due to taxation reductions granted by the government. Martins is calling on the government to cancel the facility’s license this year should the issue of its renewal be addressed.