Greyhounds Australasia (GA) members around the country remain ready to re-home as many Australian-bred greyhounds as possible from the Macau Canidrome closure.

GA contacted Animals Australia more than 12 months ago offering its support and requested Animals Australia help engage local dog behaviour experts (similar to Greyhound Adoption Program assessors employed by Australian regulators) to determine whether some or all of the Australian bred greyhounds were capable of being re-homed.

GA contacted Animals Australia again in May this year asking if those assessments had been undertaken. Animals Australia advised that access to the track was a problem.

GA contacted Animals Australia again in early June and was again advised that the local animal activist group Anima was having difficulty gaining access to the track and that Animals Australia would keep GA advised of any further developments.

In pursuing direct engagement, GA approached Canidrome management requesting confirmation of the number of ex-Australian greyhounds currently at that facility. GA reconfirmed its offer to help re-home Australian-bred greyhounds deemed suitable for re-homing and to seek their advice on whether, and when, they intend to facilitate the assessment of these greyhounds.

GA and member jurisdictions stand ready to provide Animals Australia and Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals Hong Kong (SPCA Hong Kong) with support in re-homing any Australian bred greyhound suitable for re-homing.

In addition, over the past year, our members across Australia have contacted various parties in Macau and Hong Kong, including a Macau government veterinarian and repeatedly tried to get a list of the greyhound IDs. Despite those efforts, GA has been unable to determine how many Australian bred greyhounds are currently in Macau.

GA and its member controlling bodies are doing everything possible to eliminate the exportation of greyhounds to countries with poor animal welfare standards and have prosecuted participants who have breached National (GA) and Local Rules. GA, again, calls on the federal government to legislate so that greyhound exporters must obtain a GA issued passport before federal government approval for export is granted.

The safety and welfare of animals must be the primary consideration before any export of Australian-bred greyhounds is considered.