<p class="title">Macau authorities took in more than 500 greyhounds abandoned following the closure today of Asia's only legal dog-racing track.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The former Portuguese territory has been the only place in China where dog racing is legal.</p>.<p class="bodytext">However, betting on dog races at Macau's Canidrome - a tradition of more than 50 years - soured after animal rights groups accused the stadium of mistreating the dogs and euthanizing ones that underperformed on the track. It was ordered closed today.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Macau's government said the Canidrome faces legal measures under the Animal Protection Act for failing to move the dogs from their shuttered premises.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Authorities found on the company's property 533 greyhounds, including a dozen suffering from skin disease and other conditions, and are now making arrangements for their care.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Macau ordered the Canidrome to move out of the downtown area last year amid urban redevelopment efforts.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The demise of the stadium, which saw massive crowds at its peak in the 1960s, comes as China seeks to cut Macau's dependence on the high-rollers who helped propel the city's transformation from a seedy backwater into a global gambling powerhouse. The city is now shifting its focus toward middle-class Asian tourists.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Canidrome is owned by Angela Leong, a billionaire Macau businesswoman.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Phone calls to the Canidrome rang unanswered today afternoon.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Animal rights activists have expressed concern about the fate of the race dogs, most of which were bred in Australia.</p>.<p class="bodytext">People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, urged Macau to give custody of the greyhounds to local animal protection groups that will put them up for adoption. </p>
<p class="title">Macau authorities took in more than 500 greyhounds abandoned following the closure today of Asia's only legal dog-racing track.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The former Portuguese territory has been the only place in China where dog racing is legal.</p>.<p class="bodytext">However, betting on dog races at Macau's Canidrome - a tradition of more than 50 years - soured after animal rights groups accused the stadium of mistreating the dogs and euthanizing ones that underperformed on the track. It was ordered closed today.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Macau's government said the Canidrome faces legal measures under the Animal Protection Act for failing to move the dogs from their shuttered premises.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Authorities found on the company's property 533 greyhounds, including a dozen suffering from skin disease and other conditions, and are now making arrangements for their care.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Macau ordered the Canidrome to move out of the downtown area last year amid urban redevelopment efforts.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The demise of the stadium, which saw massive crowds at its peak in the 1960s, comes as China seeks to cut Macau's dependence on the high-rollers who helped propel the city's transformation from a seedy backwater into a global gambling powerhouse. The city is now shifting its focus toward middle-class Asian tourists.</p>.<p class="bodytext">The Canidrome is owned by Angela Leong, a billionaire Macau businesswoman.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Phone calls to the Canidrome rang unanswered today afternoon.</p>.<p class="bodytext">Animal rights activists have expressed concern about the fate of the race dogs, most of which were bred in Australia.</p>.<p class="bodytext">People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, or PETA, urged Macau to give custody of the greyhounds to local animal protection groups that will put them up for adoption. </p>