Macau | Canidrome has until October 6 to find location for its greyhounds or be fined – Municipal council head

Macau (MNA) РThe Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau President (IACM), Jos̩ Tavares, said on Wednesday said that Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome Co. Ltd. has failed to prepare a site in Coloane to receive the 500 greyhounds it holds and if no viable alternative is presented until October 6, the company could fined for animal abandonment.

The company was supposed to transfer the greyhounds to this location near Largo da Cordoaria in Coloane on October 3, with the containers where the dogs were to be located installed with air-conditioning, air-purification equipment and soundproofing.

However according to Mr. Tavares the company failed to fully equip them with soundproofing material that could prevent sound disturbance to the residents of the nearby Asilo Vila Madalena retirement home.

“The Social Affairs Bureau (IAS) and the Environmental Protection Bureau (DSPA) issued several requirements to [Yat Yuen] to fulfill […] On October 2 we went to the location and the soundproofing wasn’t properly installed, so the dogs can’t be housed there,” Mr. Tavares.

The IACM indicated that the plan to transfer the greyhounds to the Coloane location was never officially approved by only a suggestion by Yat Yuen that was being considered after a previous suggestion to move them to a location in Pac On didn’t come to fruition.

“All proposals, since the one for Pac On, were considered viable but were not approved. The company is the one that has to prove to us that the location is adequate to house the dogs,” Mr. Tavares indicated.

The company, headed by legislator Angela Leong On Kei, will now have to find a solution or it could charged a fine under the current Animal Protection Law that can range between MOP20,000 (US$2,478) and MOP100,000 per dog, with the greyhounds passing to government ownership.

In case the dogs pass to the IACM care, they will remain in the canidrome site, Mr. Tavares said.

Officially opened and operated by Yat Yuen starting from 1963, the canidrome racetrack closed doors after more than 50 years in operation on July 20 of this year as the gaming exploration concession granted to company came to an end.

[Top photo: Containers installed in Coloane to house the greyhounds]