As many as 1,000 greyhounds a year are being exported from Australia to Asia and South America where they are injected with arsenic, cocaine, Viagra and methamphetamines to increase their aggression ahead of fight-to-the-death races. Just weeks after the live-baiting scandal rocked the dog racing industry - when the use of live pigs, possums and rabbits to train greyhounds and boost their aggression was exposed - a horrific and often unsanctioned international trade can also be revealed by Daily Mail Australia. The dogs, both young animals and those at the end of their racing lives, are shipped mostly to Macau, Hong Kong, Argentina and Chile where they are housed in appalling conditions. Scroll down for videos . Australian greyhounds in South America and Asia are fed a cocktail of drugs before being 'run to their death' according to animal welfare groups. This one-time Australian competitor died immediately after a race . Bloodsport. The horrid outcome of a match race in Argentina after two dogs pursue the lure to the end. Animal rights groups in South America say they often descend into a fight to the death . The Canidrome in Macau where many Australian dogs compete. Animals Australia says 'Macau offers no re-homing program for retired greyhounds and ... every dog imported to the country from Australia is dead within around three years' Although there are legal, strictly policed races, at the end of unofficial events the blood-thirsty animals often maul each other to death. If an animal finishes outside the top three in five consecutive races they are euthanised or dumped by the side of the road, where they starve to death. Argentina-based animal rights group Proyecto Galgo says that Australia and American dogs are particularly sought after in South America because of their superior pedigree. Animal protection groups have called for immediate government intervention, fearing that the crackdown on local trainers after the live-baiting scandal was exposed will lead to an increase in the black market trade to these gambling-loving countries. Australian dogs, along with those from the US and Ireland, are considered among the best in the world for both racing and breeding purposes, and are exported to countries which struggle to produce quality runners. In something akin to the barbaric scenes at cock-fighting rings or dog fights, activists say that at some tracks the greyhounds race in pairs down a straight, with frenzied punters packed either side, and the animals often maul each other at the end of a sprint. Animal protection groups in Argentina have joined the call for Australia's Federal Government to intervene, fearing that the crackdown on local trainers because of the live-baiting scandal, will lead to the 'black market' trade of Australian greyhounds gathering even more pace . Killing fields. These stomach churning images are published by animal protection groups as proof of the horrific lack of control over the fate of greyhounds in Asia . Freedom of Information documents obtained by Animals Australia from the Department of Agriculture and seen by Daily Mail Australia show only 20 dogs were officially registered as arriving from Australia in Argentina in the past two years. It's widely suspected that hundreds more have been exported through back channels. There is no information about the fates of these animals. 'Greyhounds here, including those from Australia, suffer a terrible fate,' claims an activist from Proyecto Galgos, who gave her name only as Ines. 'Here the situation is this; they use the galgos (greyhounds) in an exhaustive way. In one day, they can race in many places sometimes (and) are drugged with arsenic, cocaine, Viagra and methamphetamines. 'Sometimes they give them the drugs directly in their chest in the racing facilities. 'Many times they die in the racing facility. A racing galgo doesn't run more than one or two championships because of the drugs.' Some, she said, are saved for breeding but even then they are plied with reproductive drugs. 'That is the best scenario, but if they are no good at running, they are discharged on roads or left to die of starvation and in some cases they are killed.' 'Many times they die in the racing facility. A racing galgo doesn't run more than one or two championships because of the drugs' say animal rights groups in Argentina, who provided this image to show the level of neglect for a one-time racing dog . If they are no good at running, they are discharged on roads, or left to die of starvation, and in some cases they are killed' according to Proyecto Galgos from Argentina . With punting, legal and otherwise, a major past-time in parts of Argentina and Chile, exposing those who trade in the barbarism comes at a cost for groups like Proyecto Galgos, with members subjected to death threats on a regular basis. 'Here (in South America) they are used as merchandise, they are objects and when they aren't useful anymore they get rid of them,' Ines said. 'Sometimes they are sold and other times they change them for a chair or a television or anything.' Races are prohibited in two Argentinian regions, including the capital Buenos Aires and in Santa Fe. Cordoba is debating whether to shut down the industry too. While it is clear that many have previously been sent using official channels, through the control of authorities via a 'greyhound passport', there has been a crackdown on that process by governing bodies like Greyhounds Australasia. The exports, however, continue unabated. Lobbyists say just how so many end up in countries like Argentina and Korea (which is not on the official list) remains a mystery. Greyhounds Australasia CEO Scott Parker admitted that GA has no control of the greyhound export industry. ‘We have absolutely no idea of what dogs had gone where in the past six months because we are totally out of the loop,' he said. ‘It’s because of the lack of regulations, something we have stressed to the (Agriculture) Minister and hoped we’d get a meeting with him to discuss it but that hasn't eventuated as yet but we are still trying. Greyhound data shows some of Australia's best known runners have been sent through the correct channels over the years to spend their time in the breeding kennels in places like South America. Animal activists want tighter controls on exports by the Federal Government to ensure the future of all greyhounds . Lobbyists say not all dogs face the same fate, however, pointing to several examples over the years of top Australian greyhounds like this one being cared for in the correct manner by respected Argentinian studs . ‘The passport has no government regulatory standing but at least that enabled us to make sure they (greyhound owners) were doing the right thing . ‘Exporting Australian greyhounds without a GA issued passport is against the rules but some might take the risk knowing that government allows their export as long as the dogs are fit and well. ‘They enter into private arrangements and when someone says 100 have gone over in the past month, it’s out of our hands – a member of the public with no connection to the governing body can send them to anywhere in the world, if they want.’ He's also called on the Federal Government to put strong legislation behind 'the rules' of greyhound exports. There are examples of successful transitions; including star performers Bogie Ace and The Chief, who had top careers on the track in Australia and went on to have rewarding stud lives and were treated humanely. They, however, are rare examples. Up until now, authorities have been scrambling to keep on top of the shipping of Australian greyhounds to Asia, particularly Macau, for competition at the Yat Yuen Canidrome, but now revelations they are appearing with greater frequency in South America, has activists concerned. 'I think what’s clear is that the welfare of greyhounds is not a priority, these dogs come a distant second to profits on offer in this industry,' Lisa Chalk from Animals Australia said. 'In Australia, thousands of healthy dogs are killed simply because they don’t run fast enough and hundreds are exported overseas each year to countries that have no laws to protect them from cruelty. 'The country of greatest concern currently is Macau where dogs are raced at a facility called the Canidrome. 'They are kept in small cages when not racing and are killed if they fail to finish in the top three for five consecutive races. 'Dogs sent to Macau from Australia are dead within three years. Greyhound racing in Macau is built around the supply of dogs from Australia which makes the situation all the more outrageous.' Advocates also warn that, many of the export countries (in Asia), are known for their huge illegal trade in dog meat for human consumption. 'Macau offers no re-homing program for retired greyhounds and the head of the Macau government’s animal control department has stated that every dog imported to the country from Australia is dead within around three years,' Ms Chalk added. 'Greyhounds Australasia has stopped issuing passports to allow greyhounds to be sent for racing but that hasn't stopped the export. 'It's time for the Australian Government to take a stand and ban the export of greyhounds altogether.' Animal advocates have called on the Australian Government 'to take a stand and ban the export of greyhounds altogether' to provide more protection for the animals. This is an example of a neglected pup in Argentina . The live-baiting scandal has led to more than 70 Australian trainers being implicated. Five Queensland greyhound trainers have already been banned for life . Animals Australia claim that 'greyhounds from Australia were killed at the Canidrome at a rate of more than one every day'. 'Nearly all of these dogs were healthy and not even five years old. All they had done wrong is fail to finish in the top three for five consecutive races,' Ms Chalk said. 'With an ongoing supply of dogs from Australia, this unethical practice can continue, and is even threatening to expand.' Macau is the only place in China where greyhound racing is currently legal but that could soon be expanded. Her South American colleagues agree: 'The shortage of quality animals (in South America) means the exporting to places such as Argentina from Australia can be a profitable business.' Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Minister for Agriculture's office for comment. With punting, legal and otherwise, a major past-time in parts of Argentina and Chile, exposing those who trade in the barbarism comes at a cost for groups like Proyecto Galgos, who are subjected to death threats on a regular basis .
Australian greyhounds sent to the races in South America are fed arsenic and Viagra to 'run until they die'
Unsanctioned races even see dogs race in pairs watched by punters lined against a fence often ending in greyhounds mauling each other . Animal protection groups say the dogs are arriving in countries like Argentina and Chile in increasing numbers . So-called 'greyhound passport' process has been suspended but the export continues particularly to Asia . Daily Mail has seen FOI documents showing more than 20 countries receive greyhounds from Australia and their fate after that is unknown . Advocates subjected to death threats as they try to shut down greyhound racing industry .