‘Orphaned’ greyhounds from closed-down Macau dog track find new homes in Hong Kong
- Forty of the Macau Canidrome’s 650 greyhounds have been earmarked for adoption in Hong Kong, though only 25 have been claimed
- The dogs were in poor condition when the track closed and have been nursed back to health by animal-lovers
As Hongkongers were busy preparing for Lunar New Year, pet-lover Betty Yau Pik-yu took a ferry to Macau to collect two new four-legged friends – greyhounds left without owners following the closure of Macau’s dog track.
Yau, 50 and a pet groomer of more than 30 years’ experience, went to the Macau Canidrome – Asia’s last legal dog-racing track, which closed in July last year – to help deliver the retired racers to their new homes in Hong Kong.
She herself was among the first Hong Kong adopters of greyhounds from the defunct track, welcoming two dogs into her Lantau Island home in November.
“I learned about the adoption from a friend, and I thought I’d be able to take care of them,” says Yau, who also has 15 poodles and three parrots at home. “Greyhounds are good animals. They are quiet and easy to raise.”
The dogs, of slim build and with long, powerful legs, are bred for racing. They can run as fast as 64km/h.
