Animal rights activists hopeful that Ireland will ban greyhound exports to Macau
The bell appears to be tolling for Asia’s only dog racing track after 400 people stage a protest in Dublin against the export of greyhounds
Animal rights group Anima joined an international protest of some 400 people outside the office of the Irish agriculture minister in Dublin on Thursday, seeking a ban on the export of greyhounds to Macau.
They handed in a petition with over 300,000 signatures.
Following the protest and a meeting with lawmakers, the president of Macau-based Anima, Albano Martins, said he was optimistic. “Officials are sensitive to this matter ... The Canidrome’s days are numbered,” he said. “If Ireland stops sending animals, the Canidrome in Macau will be forced to shut down in a few months’ time.”
At the end of last month, media reports said the Irish Department of Agriculture was considering a legal reform within this year which would allow the Irish Greyhound Board to prevent the export of dogs to countries with poor animal welfare standards.
Between early May and now, some 20 demonstrations against Asia’s only greyhound track have been held in cities around the world, including London, Edinburgh, Rome and Sydney.