Men facing charges in Australia over illegal exports of greyhounds

Four men are facing charges in New South Wales, Australia, in relation to the alleged export of nine greyhounds to China and Macau without a greyhound passport and certified pedigree issued by Greyhounds Australasia, as announced in a statement by Greyhound Racing New South Wales (GRNSW).
Paul Wheeler, Danny Li, Wei Shan and Yiwen Xi have been charged with conduct detrimental or prejudicial to the interest, welfare, image, control and promotion of greyhound racing.

Wheeler is considered one of Australia’s leading greyhound owners and breeders.

Investigations into the case began in 2016, but formal accusations are only being made now, with the first court hearing scheduled for the end of this month.
According to the same statement, the four suspects are also facing additional charges relating to the alleged failure to notify GRNSW of exports under the GRNSW Racing Rules.

The greyhound racing authority added that in the cases of Li, Wei and Yiwen, “each face additional charges relating to their alleged failure to attend or produce documents to the Inquiry, as directed.”

The GRNSW said it would not make any further comments on the charges until a decision has been made.

Last October, the GRNSW announced the disqualification of another three greyhound racing participants following a similar investigation.

The case is likely to fuel the cause of local animal protection organization Anima, which has been battling greyhound-related issues in Macau for several years. The latest of these concerns is the fate of the 600-odd greyhounds that Anima claims are still living at Macau’s Canidrome facility.

The Canidrome may close as soon as this summer, but animal activists are still worried about the dogs’ fate, as the company that manages the facility has not been forthcoming.