The site of Macau’s Canidrome dog racing track will become a land reserve for public facilities, including education, sport, offices for public departments and service centers, once its current owners officially move out this weekend.
In a joint press conference held by the Financial Services Bureau and Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) on Wednesday, the government outlined its latest plans for the 40,000 square meters of land, which comes under its control after Friday.
The re-appropriation follows an ultimatum issued in 2016 for the Canidrome to either shut down or relocate by 20 July 2018, adding that the facility 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 rather than seek a new home.
Among the immediate benefits once the premises is vacated will be the opening of existing sports facilities to the public every evening, as opposed to just two nights a week at present.
The DICJ last week vetoed an application by Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome Co Ltd for a 120-day extension on the use of the facilities. Addressing on Wednesday a secondary proposal by Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome Co to use empty stables at Macau Jockey Club for the temporary housing of around 600 greyhounds, the DICJ re-iterated that any such application must be made by the Macau Jockey Club itself.
The DICJ added that dog racing didn’t contribute to Macau’s push to become the world center for tourism and leisure, rejecting a plan previously touted by Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome Co Ltd in June 2017 to replace local greyhound races with live broadcasts of overseas races and virtual races.
