Target: David Neale, Animal Welfare Director of the Animals Asia Foundation
Goal: Support the closure of a greyhound track with a long history of alleged abuse and advocate for the security of remaining greyhounds.
By the age of one, their bodies brim with bruises, sores, and broken limbs. By the age of two, they will have spent most of their lives in a cage. By the age of three, many of them will be dead. This tragic trajectory represents the lives of greyhounds: animals bred and exploited for profit. Animal welfare advocates, such as those speaking out in this ForceChange petition have often highlighted the abuses that routinely take place at greyhound racetracks. Thanks to the efforts of so many dedicated voices, Asia’s lone legal greyhound operation will soon be no more.
Macau, China’s Yat Yuen Canidrome has a long and tumultuous history, with at least one closure already in its past. Allegations of mistreatment of its imported greyhound racers have remained consistent, with stories of wounded animals stacked in small, cramped cages rampant. The only respite a greyhound receives from these inhumane conditions rests in the few moments during each day when the animal races for the entertainment of loud, abrasive crowds. After these animals no longer perform to race standards—due to injury, age, or any other factor—they often face euthanasia. Anywhere from 30 to 50 greyhounds met this fate at the Canidrome every month of every year since the track’s opening decades ago.
While the closure of a major endorser of these horrendous practices is cause for celebration, the remaining survivors still need help. Advocates fear that the 500-plus animals currently imprisoned at the track will be lost to euthanasia or to unscrupulous underground enterprises when the Canidrome officially closes its doors in July.
Sign this petition to praise the elimination of a safe haven for animal cruelty and to encourage adoption efforts for this organization’s final victims.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Mr. Neale,
“The dogs have become a commodity. They spend most of their time confined, apart from a little bit of exercise…it is a miserable life.” Due in large part to the passionate efforts of organizations like your own, untold numbers of greyhounds will be spared from this existence of misery. The closure of the Yat Yuen Canidrome racetrack in Macau is a victory for all individuals who value animal welfare. More importantly, it is a silent victory for every animal from all parts of the world who will no longer be a victim of cruel abuse, neglect, and execution.
Now is not the time to rest on victories, however, because the fight to ensure that none of the current Canidrome greyhounds become sacrificial lambs still looms. This cruel organization cannot and should not claim any more victims as its final act of cruelty. Please stand strong and united in securing for these animals something they have never truly known: comfort, love, safety…not an existence, but a life well-lived.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Renee Tellez
Thank God. This is wonderful news.
FANTASTIC NEWS! I support the closure of ALL greyhound tracks
everywhere!
I bet the next thing you hear all the greyhounds are put into the dog meat trade
A step in the right direction. But don’t let these people fool you – they know we watch. SO … KEEP WATCHING !
This is one small victory in a nasty, bloody war.
Please read, sign, and share the petition here about South American jaguars being bought and brought to China for THEIR body parts : Stop Killing of Jaguars for Construction
this is good and all, and i signed, but now asia needs to shut down all dog (and cat)meat farms !! it’s odd how they find abusing greyhound terrible, yet the dogmeat industry over there is horrendous.
what are they going to do with the greyhounds if they shut down the races ??? eat them probably the dog meat trade is still going on so go figure all of asia needs to be cleaned out of it’s people I mean they are the cruelest sickest race of so called humans ever
Hear-hear!! And let’s KEEP it shut down, and work to close all others everywhere, too!
(yes, the dog & cat meat ‘farms’ must also be outlawed in Asia)
Although this closure is way overdue, at least these poor dogs will, finally, be relieved of their torturous misery.
These animals have endured incredibly cruel brief lives, suffering horribly (physically and emotionally) most of their living hours.
How anyone could treat these sweet intelligent gentle dogs so cruelly is beyond belief. Once the hell-hole track is closed, these greyhounds need to be given appropriate vet care and found loving homes. They deserve to be respected and have life-long loving safe and secure care.
NO country should allow animal abuse. The lack of compassion, empathy and concern for their welfare, not only causes immense animal suffering (like abusing little children), but encourages a cruel habitual mindset of humans involved. We need a kinder world–not a more barbaric sadistic one. We are ALL animals, yet only the human ones cowardly torture the helpless innocent ones. THIS HORROR MUST END! Animals can bring so much beauty and joy to those who appreciate them! More humans need to open their eyes and see how wonderful they are!
What a great victory for the greyhounds. I hope all tracks shutdown!
Every track in Australia, USA and China all need to be fazing this out….but to rehome every one of thousands of greyhounds will be a huge challenge especially in countries like China where animal welfare is so poor.
I realise there are wonderful folk over there fighting hard to save these animals, but when in reality we read that humans are being forced from their homes and into small units their well loved pets are being destroyed as they are not allowed to bring them with them…What hope have these greyhounds got?
So many of the dogs from Korea and warn torn places are being ‘saved’ but brought back to the USA…wonderful to have them safe but what happens to the million of other unwanted US dogs languishing in dogs shelters? Do they just get put-down to make more room???
Agree all comments now others to follow
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