Dozens of shipping containers with cages fitted inside were seen Sunday being installed on cleared land that used to be an overgrown field located adjacent to an old people’s home in Coloane.
According to staff at the Asilo Vila Madalena retirement home, the containers will temporarily house the over 500 greyhounds from the kennels of the now defunct Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome Co. Ltd.
The dog racetrack company announced last month that it planned to move its greyhounds from the former Canidrome kennels to temporary facilities in Coloane.
About 530 greyhound are currently still housed in their original racetrack kennels.
The government has said that they must be moved to another location by September 29 at the latest, following a 60-day extension granted by the Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM). The government plans to redevelop the former racetrack, which had been in business since 1963, into a complex for schools, sports and recreation.
The fate of the greyhounds, which are awaiting adoption by local and overseas dog lovers, has made global headlines since July when the dog races finally came to an end.
Initially, Yat Yuen planned to move the about 530 greyhounds awaiting adoption to a vacant factory in Pac On in Taipa. Later, the company proposed to move them to 11 private homes. Animal rights group Anima proposed to move the canines to a plot in the Concordia Industrial Park in Coloane.
The government ordered the impending closure of the Canidrome in Fai Chi Kei two years ago. It finally closed down on July 20.
Construction of the greyhound’s temporary kennels began last week, and senior citizens living in the retirement home and their family members said yesterday they were worried as the dogs’ temporary kennels will be right next to the nursing home.
Some family members told The Macau Post Daily they were worried about possible noise and hygiene issues resulting from the temporary greyhound facilities right next to the home.
The retirement home’s management has arranged two meetings with its service users and their families tomorrow and on Saturday when Yat Yuen representatives will brief them on the situation.
Yat Yuen is headed by casino executive-cum-legislator Angela Leong On Kei, the fourth wife of nonagenarian gaming mogul Stanley Ho Hung Sun.
