The controversial Macau Canidrome has run its last race.
In what proved to be a low-key finale for Macau’s notorious greyhound-racing track, the venue’s last ever race meeting took place on Saturday night with a larger than usual crowd of around 300 people watching on ahead of the facility’s impending closure on 21 July 2018. 
It follows an ultimatum from the Macau SAR government in 2016 that the Canidrome must either shut down or relocate by this July and that it needed to vastly improve its animal welfare standards should it choose to continue operations at a new location. Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome Co Ltd’s owner, SJM Co-Chairman and Executive Director Angela Leong, confirmed in January this year that the venue would close down permanently come 21 July rather than seek a new home.
The Canidrome’s closure has been applauded by animal welfare advocates, who have for years expressed concerns over the treatment of the Canidrome’s racing dogs. It has been reported that as many as 30 dogs are killed each month due to underperformance or when their racing days come to an end. Around 70 more are euthanized each year due to injury.
However, Macau’s Society for the Protection of Animals (Anima) has expressed concerns over the fate of around 650 dogs currently living in the Canidrome’s kennels. Last week, the organization sent 650 greyhound adoption forms to Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome Co Ltd seeking to assist in the rehoming process, stating that it wants to put past differences with the venue’s operators behind in order to assist with the adoption process.
A 2016 study of the Canidrome’s performance showed gross gaming revenue from greyhound racing had declined 13.8% year-on-year in 2015 from MOP$145 million to MOP$125 million. It also acknowledged changing “social expectations” in regards to how animals are treated.
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