At the signing ceremony. Photo: laodong.vn

A Memorandum of Understanding signing ceremony both online and in-person was held on Dec. 10 to celebrate the creation of Vietnam's first-ever, "Dog and cat meat-free, tourist-friendly city" in the popular tourist city Hoi An in the central province of Quang Nam.

The commitment between Hoi An and FOUR PAWS, an international animal protection organisation with branches in 15 countries, takes effect at the end of this year and lasts for two years.

Starting in January, the project will be rolled out over two years and will include rabies vaccination support, free spay/neuter, public awareness and education and finally enforcement of currently existing laws to close dog and cat meat-related facilities.

Julie Sanders, International Director of Companion Animals Programme at FOUR PAWS, said at the virtual signing ceremony that Hoi An’s action will set the example for other Vietnamese localities to follow.

The country saw five million dogs and one million cats slaughtered for meat trade on an annual basis, threatening the local animal welfare and community health, she informed.

Vice Chairman of the Hoi An People’s Committee Nguyen The Hung affirmed that phasing out the trade of dog and cat meat and promoting rabies eradication works are in line with the city’s growth orientation toward becoming a safe, friendly, and green tourist destination.

Participating in the ceremony, young Vietnamese singer Van Mai Huong delivered a speech calling for people, particularly youth, to support the commitment.

Pets and strays are stolen from the streets and even from people’s homes, trafficked across the country. Source: FOUR PAWS

Global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS succeeded in shutting down a cat meat restaurant and associated slaughterhouse in Vietnam for the first time ever in December 2020, rescuing 25 animals including five dogs also waiting for slaughter. The restaurant was located in the city of Thai Binh, notorious for cat meat consumption, and claimed to serve around 240 animals a month, the majority of them cats.

FOUR PAWS took the rescued cats and dogs to its bear sanctuary in Ninh Binh, where vets provided the animals with urgent medical care. After initial treatment and rehabilitation, they will be put up for adoption. Every year, more than 5 million dogs and 1 million cats are stolen, traded, trafficked and killed for their meat every year in Vietnam. This poses not only a risk to animal welfare, but also to public health, largely due to zoonotic diseases. In addition, the trade is linked to outbreaks of rabies and cholera.

Unlike the trade in dogs for meat, the cat meat trade goes unreported despite being considered a delicacy in Vietnam, making the trade highly lucrative. According to FOUR PAWS research, a kilo of dog meat fetches between €6 ($7.30) and €9 ($10.90). Cat meat, on the other hand, can cost up to €11 ($13.30) per kilo – in the case of a black cat, even up to €20 ($24.30).

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