Macau Canidrome closing; Should relocate 600 greyhounds

Asia’s only legal dog-racing track conducted its last race on Saturday, June 30, 2018, in what was allegedly a low-key finale that saw around 300 people at the Macau Canidrome Club, which has been worked from the Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome Company as 1963, according to Inside Asian Gaming.

Located in Nossa Senhora de Fátima, Macau, China, the notorious greyhound racing track will shut its doors on July 21, 2018, after in 2016, the Macau Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) gave the Canindrome two years to relocate or shut completely. Also, if it chose to relocate, it might want to significantly enhance its animal welfare criteria. Prior to that, in November 2015, the exclusive ten-year renewal contract which was granted to the company in 2005 died and has been given a one-year expansion through December 31, 2016. It was to be the second such expansion since the Secretary for Economy and Finance, via Executive Order No. 76/2016, amended the concession contract between the Macao Special Administrative Region and the company, extending the license through July 20.

For decades the Canidrome’s profits have dropped, with a 2016 analysis of this course ’s performance demonstrating a decrease of 13.8 percent year-on-year in gross gaming revenue (GGR) from greyhound racing, going from MOP$145 million in 2015 into MOP$125 million. The analysis also allegedly acknowledged that “social expectations” regarding the treatment of creatures was shifting.

Based on a February report from The New York Times, Desmond Lam, Professor at International Integrated Resort Management at the University of Macau, stated that an increasing awareness of animal rights could help provide some explanation for its track’s decreasing revenue.

Animal welfare advocates, for example Albano Martins, who runs Macau’s Society for the Protection of Animals (Anima), that have for decades communicated concerns regarding the treatment of their racing dogs at the Canidrome, have allegedly applauded the closed. Furthermore, every year, over 70 of those dogs are allegedly euthanized due to injury.

The source further reports that Anima has communicated its concern regarding the fate of over 600 dogs which are presently residing in the kennels at the Canidrome. Six-hundred and fifty greyhound adoption types have been sent to Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome Co Ltd a week by Anima looking to help with the rehoming process, communication that it would love to put its past differences with the facility’s operators supporting so that it might help with the adoption process.

The letter allegedly reiterated that that company had been informed by the government to vacate in 2016, presuming that it had more than enough time to prepare for the adoption of the greyhounds that stayed at the facility. According to the report, it was also communicated from the Bureau that it doesn’t support any individual or company that abandons their puppies or any other pet, highlighting that those who break the law will be prosecuted.