Since 2001, the national nonprofitGREY2K USA has dedicated itself toa noble mission: passing stronger greyhound protection laws and ending the cruelty of dog racing. To this end,the groupworks nationwide to fight for greyhounds in state legislatures, at the ballot box, and in the courts.
On the international level,GREY2K USAsupports the work of other greyhound advocates across the globe.
The group is working on an international campaign to help greyhounds in Macau, a special administrative region of the People’s Republic of China where the situation for racing dogs is bleak. At Macau’s dog track, the Canidrome, 383 greyhounds were killed last year alone.
The dogs are imported from Australia,sent to Macau by greyhound breeders who want to increase their profit margins. Once the dogs arrive, they have no way out. When they are no longer competitive, orthey becomeinjured, they are no longer profitable -sothey die. This isthe dirty secret of the Australian dog racing industry.
Although greyhounds do still die at tracks in the United States, adoption groups have made strides and now place thousands of dogs every year in loving homes.By contrast, the Canidrome has no adoption program whatsoever.
In October, one ofGREY2K USA’sboard members, Charmaine Settle,traveled to Macau to inspect the Canidrome.She took multiple photographs of the facilityand was particularlytouched by a sleek, handsome racing greyhound named Brooklyn (pictured above).He’s a two-year-old white, red, and fawn greyhound who won his most recent race on Sunday.
Brooklyn is now the face of all Canidrome dogs, and a symbol of the cruelty of greyhound racing. In an effort to raise awareness of the plight of Macau’s grehounds, GREY2K USA is on a mission to rescue this sweet dog. Anadoption group in Australia has agreed to take Brooklyn until he can be found a permanentloving home. But first he has tobe safelytransportedout of Macau.
So last week, GREY2K USA wrote to the Canidrome management, asking for their cooperation.So far, there’s been no response.
“I think this campaign has the potential to unite animal protection groups from all over the world, and we are already in preliminary discussions with other groups that want to help,” says executive director Carey Theil.
For that to happen, however,the group anticipates major logistical hurdles. Because Brooklyn comes from Australia, the simplest way to help him is to return him to a rescue group in his home country. However,while greyhounds are frequently exported from Australia to Macau, they are rarely sent back.
“We will have to deal with a quarantine law and other legal challenges, provide transportation from him, and identify an adoption group in Australia that is willing to help him,”Theil explains. “In short, rescuing Brooklyn will not be easy.”
To follow Brooklyn’s progress, or to make a donation to support the effort to rescue him, visit the web site created for the campaign. “Together, we can make a change for all of the Macau greyhounds,” Theil concludes.
