Australian greyhounds are exported to Macau for “Death Row”

Wednesday 9th of December 2015

Hundreds of greyhounds deemed to slow too compete in Australia are being imported into Macau where they are regularly euthanized, according to an investigative article by ABC’s 7.30 Report.

“For those dogs it's a death sentence, it's a straight out death sentence," Lyn White, Campaign Director of Animals Australia said. "The conditions are awful, it's prison-like, barren cells, and in fact it really is like being exported to another country and put on death row."

In April, animal rights activists in Macau claimed that more than 30 under-performing dogs are euthanized each month at the Canidrome, where over 800 dogs are housed.

The Canidrome track began an adoption program for unwanted dogs in 2012, but according to activists, the program has only saved four greyhounds.

Albano Martins, head of Macau’s leading animal welfare group, Anima said he has written to the Australian consulate in Hong Kong and urged them to end the export of Australian animals to Macau.

In a covertly recorded interview with Animals Australia investigators, Canidrome chief vet, Dr Wu Sung Hu detailed how the dogs are sourced from Australian brokers.

"We have four suppliers from Australia and we buy the dogs from them monthly," Dr Wu told the investigators, who were posing as prospective suppliers to the track.

"In Australia [if your dogs] don't run quick enough and you can't keep feed[ing] them, so you sell those dogs through those brokers. They buy those dogs and sell [them] to Macau."

Although the export of greyhounds is not illegal, exporting without the required passport is against the rules of racing. Penalties include fines and disqualification from the sport.

Racing Greyhound Racing Anima