NYT highlights rise and fall of the Canidrome

Historical details of the creation, development and decline of the Yat Yuen greyhound racetrack have been splashed across the pages of the New York Times (NYT).

The report concerns the rise and fall of interest in the dog races, as well as the efforts of local groups and international animal rights organizations to put an end to an activity that many consider to be cruel to the animals.

The NYT report highlights the lack of interest in the activity after the huge growth in the casino sector, following the gaming liberalization that left little room for “small betting” activities.

“In the stands, about two dozen men watched as the greyhounds were led to their starting positions and then released to sprint after a rabbit-shaped lure around a ring. If any of the men had placed bets, none of them showed elation,” the newspaper wrote.

“In an otherwise empty betting hall, a security guard patrolled listlessly as staff members sat behind glassed-in counters, napping or tapping away on their smartphones,” the report continues.   

The report also delves into the fears of animal rights organizations such as Anima, which claims that “after the track closes, its greyhounds will be sold to illegal racing tracks, auctioned off to breeders or even sold for their meat.”

The same organizations have long called for the closure of the space, which they say “makes no sense” in this current age, claiming that it is informed by a decadence grounded in Macau’s “transformation […] from a colonial backwater into a popular tourist destination for China’s fast-growing middle class,” with gambling revenue once five times that of Las Vegas.

The Canidrome’s revenues have been stalling for several years, the paper added, referring to the racetrack operator’s annual reports.

The NYT goes into detail about the history of “dog racing” in Macau, which began in the 1930s but failed after a few years “because it was not widely affordable,” according to the paper’s source, a local veteran journalist.

When the track reopened in the mid-1960s, the same source said, “all of Macau was crazy about it […] Every weekend, the ferries from Hong Kong to Macau were filled with dog racing fans eager to see the grand event.”

The NYT, back in 1969, had suggested a visit to the dog races in a travel guide to the “tranquil, low-priced Mediterranean-style enclave on the coast of turbulent China.”

Half a century later, it changed tack, saying that “the fascination has faded and even turned into disapproval.”

The NYT also quotes Anima president Albano Martins, who noted that the Canidrome does not fit in with the current idea of a “modern economy built on tourism” that relies on “a clean environment […] for families.”

Also quoted in the report was Desmond Lam, a professor at the University of Macau who studies gambling and tourism, who said that a growing awareness of animal rights helped explain the decline in the track’s revenues.

With the closure announced, animal rights organizations are turning their efforts to the fate of the greyhounds.

“We are concerned, because if they didn’t care about animals beforehand, why would they care about them now?” said Martins about the estimated 650 dogs — about 45 of them puppies – currently living in the Canidrome’s kennels.

Martins is asking the government for permission to take over the kennels for one year so he can find people to adopt the dogs.

The track is due to close this July. RM