Issue Type: Companion Animals

Humane Society International

HSI

The ‘Yulin Lychee and Dog Meat Festival’ was launched in 2009/2010 by dog meat traders in the city of Yulin, in the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region of China as a commercial venture to boost their dwindling sales. The term “festival” is misleading; in truth there is very little about this week in June that would be recognisable as festivities or celebration. Dogs and cats are killed for meat all year round in Yulin, so the “festival” is really just a week-long escalation of what is an everyday trade in the city.

It takes place every year, starting on June 21 (the summer solstice), during which traders make extra efforts to promote dog meat to local and visiting consumers. Larger than usual volumes of dogs (and other animals) are trafficked into Yulin at this time for slaughter and sale.

Local officials initially endorsed the event, expecting it to attract tourists and boost local development. On the contrary, the festival has been a PR disaster for Yulin, earning national and international condemnation for the annual mass dog slaughter, and the local authorities have disassociated themselves with the event since 2014.

At its height, as many as 10-15,000 dogs were killed for their meat in Yulin during this period, mostly trafficked into the city by trucks sourcing dogs from across China. More recently, as a direct result of national and global pressure, far fewer dogs have been killed during the core days of 20-22 June, now estimated to be around 3,000 -5,000 dogs over these days.

Human health risks of the dog meat trade

The dog meat trade poses a significant risk to human health via the capture, trade, slaughter and processing of dogs and their carcasses. The World Health Organization has warned of the role the dog meat trade plays in facilitating the spread of diseases such as cholera and the deadly rabies virus which kills around 53,000 people across Asia annually, given that it encourages the long distance trafficking of huge numbers of dogs of unknown disease and vaccination status. In China, the dog meat trade breaches rabies control measures, undermining China’s efforts to eliminate this deadly disease. Guangxi province, where Yulin is situated, is amongst China’s five worst affected areas for human rabies, and Yulin was once among China’s 10 worst affected cities for human rabies cases. Dogs shipped to Yulin come from as far as Anhui, Hubei, Henan, Hebei in Central and North China, more than 1,500 miles away.

Making progress in stopping the Yulin dog meat festival

  • In 2010, the Yulin “festival” was launched. Around 15,000 dogs were killed for the festival in scenes that saw participants feasting in the streets. But by 2014, the Yulin authorities realised that endorsing the festival was a bad idea, and they issued an internal warning to all government employees and families not to attend dog meat restaurants. The Yulin authorities distanced themselves from the festival, saying it was a private business event, shut down one live dog market, and closed most dog slaughter operations in the city’s urban center. This led to a drastic reduction in the number of dogs slaughtered that year, however more dogs are still slaughtered during the Summer Solstice day.
  • In 2015 officials ordered all Yulin restaurants to remove tables from outside their premises and, for the second year running, to reduce dog meat dishes. Big public displays of mass dog meat eating were forbidden in recognition that this was likely to lead to conflict. Yulin’s Dong Kou Market had noticeably fewer dog meat stands.
  • In 2016 the Yulin authorities implemented road blocks to prevent trucks loaded with dogs and cats from entering the city. However they did so only a day or so prior to the festival, after most animals had already been offloaded at slaughterhouses in places outside the city center.
  • In 2017 the Yulin authorities announced to dog meat traders that a ban on the sale of dog meat would be imposed that year from June 15th, with heavy fines. However, a few days later the ban was lifted after the dog meat traders threatened civil unrest. A 2017 survey revealed that even in Yulin, home of the notorious dog meat festival, most people (72%) don’t regularly eat dog meat despite efforts by dog meat traders to promote it.
  • In 2018 local campaigners estimated that around 3,000 dogs were killed during the core festival days.
  • In 2020 during the nationwide COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, catering businesses were evidently restricted and domestic tourism came to a standstill. Chinese activists observed that most of the dog meat stalls and shops previously scattered around the city had been consolidated into one central area called Nanchao market on the outskirts of Yulin. Yulin’s notorious Dongkou market that was once the epicentre of dog meat sales and the slaughter of live dogs, appeared relatively empty by comparison. HSI believes that centralizing dog meat trade activity could be the authorities’ attempt to make it easier to monitor and manage.
  • In March 2020, the city of Shenzhen, followed soon after by Zhuhai, announced that dogs and cats are not food animals and imposed a ban on their sales for food. This legislative decision by two of mainland China’s most modern and progressive cities added pressure for cities that still allow the controversial trade.
  • In April 2020 the Chinese national government (Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs) made a public statement explicitly stating that dogs are considered companion animals and not “livestock”, stating: “With the progress of human civilization and the public’s concern and preference for animal protection, dogs have changed from traditional domestic animals to companion animals. Dogs are generally not regarded as livestock and poultry around the world, and China should also not manage them as livestock and poultry.”

These initial steps are commendable, but more proactive and decisive steps are needed to end this cruel trade.

Authorities ban trade to tackle rabies and animal cruelty

Humane Society International

Khalisya Anjani/Dog Meat Free Indonesia Pictured here is Bosman after they were rescued from the dog meat trade in Indonesia.

JAKARTA, Indonesia—Hollywood actress Kim Basinger, comedian Ricky Gervais and British actor Peter Egan have joined campaigners from the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition in celebrating news that Indonesia’s capital city of Jakarta has banned the dog and cat meat trade. The stars sent a video message after the Food Security, Marine and Agriculture Department confirmed Jakarta now becomes the 21st jurisdiction in Indonesia to ban the trade. The move comes in response to an intensive campaign by DMFI, exposing the severe animal cruelty and risks to human health from zoonotic diseases such as rabies.

Across Indonesia, more than one million dogs and countless cats are killed every year for meat, most of them stolen pets or strays, snatched from the streets and illegally trafficked on grueling journeys to supply demand hotspots. Many die during this ordeal from heatstroke, dehydration or injuries inflicted during capture and transport. Those who survive are taken to makeshift slaughterhouses where they are bludgeoned and killed in full view of other dogs. DMFI investigations suggest that in Jakarta, an estimated 9,520 dogs per month or around 340 dogs every day are killed for meat, with over 95% of dogs trafficked from West Java province where rabies remains endemic. Dog meat can be found for sale in Jakarta’s markets such as Pasar Senen, Pasae Cijantung and others, and suppliers also sell to local restaurants throughout the city.

Lola Webber, director of campaigns to End Dog Meat at Humane Society International, a DMFI member group, says: “A dog and cat meat trade ban in Indonesia’s capital city Jakarta is hugely significant, not just because of the thousands of animals killed every year for the city’s trade, but also because it recognizes that this cruel trade risks spreading rabies. Jakarta’s rabies-free status is jeopardized every day that the dog meat trade continues to traffic dogs of unknown disease status into the city. We hope the Indonesian government will take the next step of banning this awful trade for good so that no more dogs or cats have to suffer this cruelty in future.”

The prohibition was officially announced by Jakarta’s Food Security, Marine and Agriculture Department. Ibu Ir. Suharini Eliawati M.Si, Head of the Food Security and Agriculture Department for Jakarta said, “Current progress is the formation of a Food Regulation to ban the dog meat trade, and the issuance of a Governor’s Directive. The plan is also to educate people to not consume dog meat, and to be responsible animal owners.”

A representative of the Head of the DKI Jakarta Civil Service Police Unit, stated “We are very supportive and ready to help socialize this Directive to sellers and stalls that are still selling dog meat. This needs to be done so that traders have time to find alternative jobs.”

The news was celebrated by global celebrities via video messages from actress Kim Basinger, comedian Ricky Gervais and British actor Peter Egan thanking the Jakarta authorities for taking action.

Kim Basinger said: “Thank you Governor Heru for your leadership in taking this brave and tremendously powerful step to ban the cruel, dangerous and illegal dog meat trade in Jakarta. Your actions send a very clear message–dogs are not food. These laws to prohibit dog meat, will have far reaching impacts, protecting both animals and people. Dogs are a true gift to all of us on this planet. They are our companions who serve mankind loyally. They must be protected from the abusive and unimaginably cruel dog meat trade.”

Ricky Gervais said: “I’d like to add my voice to the millions of other in calling for a ban on the dog meat trade in Indonesia. The message is clear, dogs are not food.”

Peter Egan said: “Thank you Governor Heru for your great leadership and compassion in taking action to ban the dog meat trade in Jakarta. Your actions will protect animals and safeguard communities’ health and welfare. I would like to add my voice to the millions of others in calls for a ban on the dog meat trade throughout Indonesia to protect the tens of thousands of dogs each month from unimaginable cruelty and also to showcase and celebrate Indonesia’s great compassion and its natural and cultural beauty.”

Jakarta’s ban comes four years after the central government reacted to shocking investigative evidence presented by DMFI and called upon all provincial, regency and city authorities to take action to discourage dog and cat meat consumption and to implement measures to tackle the trades wherever they occur. Speaking at the National Coordination of Animal Welfare meeting in September 2018, the Director of Veterinary Public Health described the treatment of the dogs and cats as “torture for animals” and stated that “dog meat or any animal that is not registered as farm animals, is illegal (…) Foreign countries find a low standard of animal welfare and cruelty unacceptable and will stop visiting Indonesia, which is bad for tourism.”

Karin Franken, national coordinator of the DMFI coalition, welcomed the news, saying: “On behalf of the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition and the millions of dog and cat-loving and concerned citizens across Indonesia, I would like to express our deepest appreciation for the DKI Jakarta Food, Maritime and Fisheries Security Service for taking these progressive measures to safeguard the health and welfare of both people and animals. Jakarta’s ban sets a clear example for other jurisdictions to follow that the dog and cat meat trade is intolerably cruel and dangerous, and will help raise public awareness about the serious dangers and animal suffering inherent in this trade.”

 The ban was first published by Jakarta’s Food, Maritime and Fisheries Security Service in Appeal Letter Number 4493/-1823.55 which restricts the trafficking of rabies-transmitting animals and non-food animal products, on the grounds of protecting public health. It covers what is known as the Special Area of the city of (DKI) Jakarta which is the most populous metropolitan area in Indonesia, comprising the capital as well as five satellite cities and three complete regencies, including parts of West Java and Banten provinces.

Facts:

 A Nielsen opinion poll in January 2021, commissioned by DMFI, revealed that 93% of Indonesians support a national dog meat ban, and just 4.5% have ever consumed dog meat.

  • The dog meat trade is now banned in 21 cities and regencies across Indonesia. The regencies are Karanganyar, Sukoharjo, Semarang, Blora, Brebes, Purbalingga, Mojokerto, Temanggung, Jepara and Magelang. The cities are Salatiga, Malang, Semarang, Magelang, Blitar, Mojokerto, Medan, Surabaya and Jakarta.
  • In addition to the 21 locations in Indonesia, across Asia the trade in and slaughter, sale and consumption of dogs is also banned or otherwise ended in Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand and two major cities in mainland China. In South Korea a government-initiated task force is currently considering the issue of a ban. President Yoon Suk-yeol has stated he would not oppose a dog meat ban provided there is social consensus, and first lady Kim Keon-hee has spoken publicly of her desire for an end to dog meat consumption.
  • Dog Meat Free Indonesia is a coalition of national and international animal protection organisations comprising Jakarta Animal Aid Network, Animal Friends Jogja, Humane Society International, Animals Asia and FOUR PAWS. The coalition exposes the brutality of the trades and campaigns for a ban on the grounds of animal cruelty and risks to public health.

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Media contacts:

Indonesia

  • Lola Webber, Humane Society International’s director of campaigns to End Dog Meat, and DMFI coordinator: +6281337408768; Lwebber@hsi.org
  • Karin Franken, Jakarta Animal Aid Network founder and national coordinator for Dog Meat Free Indonesia Coalition: +6282122487794; jaan_adopt@yahoo.com

United Kingdom

  • Wendy Higgins, Humane Society International’s director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org

Humane Society International / Latin America

HSI

SAN JOSE, Costa Rica—From how to improvise a muzzle to the correct way to treat a poisoned cat or dog—these were some of the topics addressed at Humane Society International/Latin America’s first aid training. The workshop was given to 20 judicial police agents from the new specialized section against environmental crimes and other regional offices.

The new section has dealt with 83 cases of animal cruelty nationwide from April to December 2022. HSI/Latin America seeks to provide judicial agents with tools so that they can safeguard animal lives at crime scenes, while protecting valuable evidence.

“We analyzed the most common examples of animal cruelty, for example, physical injuries resulting in fractures, bleeding and burns, and how agents can give the animal a better chance to survive, but always paying attention to the surroundings so as not to lose evidence that can contribute to cruelty cases,” said Sofia Herra, cruelty prevention and companion animals program manager for HSI/Latin America.

Workshop participants also practiced helping an animal in the event of poisoning, suffocation or heat stroke, how to apply bandages and temporary splints, and responding when a dog or cat has a seizure or suffers cardiorespiratory arrest.

“Agents from this specialized section are often the first to respond to complaints of animal cruelty in cases taken by the Judicial Police. Therefore, this workshop was very useful since it provides us with tools to deal with these situations and help the animals involved, always preserving the integrity of crime scene,” said investigator Shirley Calderon of the specialized section against environmental crimes.

HSI/Latin America seeks to work jointly with government institutions that address animal cruelty in Costa Rica. “We want to support their capacity building, with workshops such as this one, but we are also interested in actively contributing to preventing and reducing animal cruelty cases in the country,” Herra said.

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Media contact: Alejandra Zuniga: 7012-5598; azuniga@hsi.org

Farmer Mr Yang will grow cabbages and crops instead

Humane Society International

Sangkyung Lee, Dog Meat campaign manager of HSI/Korea, rescues a dog at a dog meat farm in Asan, South Korea, on March 7, 2023. Jean Chung/For HSI

SEOUL―Seventy-three year old Mr Yang in South Korea’s Chungcheong province has become the latest dog meat farmer in the country to join Humane Society International/Korea’s Models for Change program as part of the charity’s efforts to end the dog meat industry. Through working with HSI/Korea, Mr Yang is leaving dog meat farming behind him and transitioning to growing cabbages and other crops instead. The nearly 200 dogs and puppies on his farm, who were destined for slaughter, will instead be transported to the United States and Canada where they will begin their search for adoptive families.

The closure comes at a time of increasing public and political support for ending the dog meat industry. Last year, First lady Kim Keon-hee openly called for a ban, and latest opinion surveys show that most South Koreans (85%) don’t eat dog meat and 56% support a ban. In December 2021, the government formed a task force to bring forward recommendations on the issue, but after repeated delays, HSI/Korea is urging the government to begin a phase out program mirroring HSI’s Models for Change.

Mr Yang has farmed dogs for human consumption for 27 years in the city of Asan-si, but now agrees that the best solution for the dog meat industry in South Korea is a phase out, and he wants to leave. His farm, unlike many in the country, is legally registered, but he believes it has no future.

Mr Yang says: “In the early years of the dog meat industry, no-one reported dog meat farms for violations or criticised the industry. But as time has passed, animal groups like HSI/Korea have appeared and the world is changing, so are Korean people. I’m a member of the dog farmers association and I know how the Dog Meat Task Force is going. The compensation and phase-out period are the issues now. But regardless of the Task Force’s recommendation, I was planning to leave the industry in a few years anyway so when I talked with HSI/Korea, I knew it was a good opportunity to leave now. I plan to do cabbage farming after this and share my crops with local people. HSI will rescue the animals, and I will help the people with my cabbages.”

Launched in 2015, Models for Change sees HSI/Korea work cooperatively with farmers like Mr Yang who want to exit the industry, and help them transition to humane, alternative livelihoods.

Sangkyung Lee, HSI/Korea’s End Dog Meat campaign manager, says: “Many of the dogs on this farm are clearly traumatised from their experience in the dog meat industry, and they will need all the love and patience we can give them to start to heal. But farmers like Mr Yang are symbols of change in South Korea, because a new generation of animal lovers like me don’t wish to see this suffering continue. I hope that the government listens, and our Models for Change program is showing there is a desire for change and a way to a new future where dogs are only friends, not food.”

This is the 18th dog meat farm permanently closed by HSI/Korea, resulting in the rescue of more than 2,700 dogs since the program began who have found adoptive families in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands and a small number in South Korea.

Mr Yang is glad that the dogs on his farm will now have a chance of a happy future. He said: “While working with HSI/Korea, I was surprised and enlightened by the way the team interacts with the dogs. Even with their clothes covered in dog poop, they kept smiling and talking kindly to the dogs without any displeasure. I was somewhat shocked. I got to know that HSI really values animals much more than me who has handled dogs for nearly 30 years. I feel happy that these dogs will go to a good place and I don’t feel good to see any of them dying. I feel sorry for them.”

Fast facts:

  • An estimated up to 1 million dogs are bred and confined in appalling conditions on thousands of farms across South Korea to be killed for human consumption.
  • The dogs suffer immensely both physically and mentally, spending their entire lives in small, barren, wire cages without proper food, water, stimulation, comfort, shelter or veterinary care. Death is by electrocution.
  • HSI/Korea is the Seoul office of international animal protection charity HSI that campaigns across Asia (China, Indonesia, South Korea, India and Viet Nam) to end the dog meat trade.

Download video and photos of the farm closure and rescueand  of the farm pre-closure

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Media contact: Wendy Higgins, director of international media ; whiggins@hsi.org

The lifesaving program to manage the city’s street dog population celebrates World Spay Day with milestone

Humane Society International / India

Kawi from Lucknow’s Rajajipuram area was the 50,000th dog to be sterilized. Photo by: Shruti Singh for HSI/India

LUCKNOW, Uttar Pradesh—Humane Society International/India celebrates World Spay Day with the successful completion of its 50,000th spay/neuter surgery in Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, reaching a crucial milestone in its Animal Birth Control program.

In 2019, HSI/India implemented the city’s first-ever comprehensive street dog management program to improve the welfare of its street dog population. As is the case in many other Indian cities, street dogs in Lucknow often suffered from injuries caused by vehicular accidents, malnutrition and infectious disease; sadly, few survived long enough to see their first birthday.

Lucknow is home to more than 4 million people and an estimated 75,000 dogs living on the streets.

The two projects involve traditional aspects of dog management including high-volume, high-quality spay/neuter and rabies vaccination, coupled with intensive community engagement and ongoing data collection to ensure the success of the programs. The dog management project is run in collaboration with the Lucknow Municipal Corporation. Thanks to the work of HSI/India, Lucknow is on the path to becoming Uttar Pradesh’s first city to have achieved 80% sterilization of its street dog population and will hopefully serve as a model for other Indian cities.

“A large population of unsterilized dogs contributes to ongoing dog-related complaints and requests for help from the local community,” says Dr. Arvindkumar Rao, additional municipal commissioner at Lucknow Nagar Nigam. “Achieving 50,000 surgeries using high-quality protocols is a great achievement to ensure better dog welfare in the city.”

“Despite setbacks posed by the pandemic, we were able to successfully sterilize almost 58% of the entire dog population in Lucknow,” says Dr. Neeraj Kumar, program manager at HSI/India. “After sterilizing the 50,000th dog Kawi, we are more determined than ever to achieve our goal of sterilizing 80% of the entire dog population in the city by the end of 2023.”

Thanks to the work of HSI/India, Lucknow is on the path to becoming Uttar Pradesh’s first city to have achieved 80% sterilization of its street dog population and will hopefully serve as a model for other Indian cities to follow.

Media contact: Shaili Shah, sshah@hsi.org ; 993-059-1005

Humane Society International

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Humane Society International / Global

Pledge to help dogs and cats who live outdoors by offering or advocating for resources.

Humane Society International / Africa

Kobus Tollig Photography

CAPE TOWN, South Africa—Animal protection organization Humane Society International/Africa has launched its Healthy Pets, Healthier Community pilot program in Struisbraai and Bredasdorp, Cape Agulhas, to improve the welfare of roaming and owned community cats and dogs. As part of the launch, HSI/Africa and partners conducted the program’s first sterilisation marathon or “sterithon” at Struisbaai North Primary School and the Bredasdorp East Sports Grounds, sterilising 142 animals (111 dogs and 31 cats) and providing vaccinations, deworming and other treatment for 100 other animals, all of whom also received other primary veterinary care and grooming—as well as treats and toys from HSI/Africa volunteers.

The Healthy Pets, Healthier Community program provides local pet owners with the knowledge to help families maintain a healthy and humane lifestyle for their pets. This pilot program is also delivering humane education for local schools and families, low-cost veterinary services, and includes an animal law enforcement component that will strengthen the protection of animals in these communities. HSI/Africa will work with partners, other animal welfare groups and school children in the communities to improve the lives of their companion animals.

The program is being rolled out following a Monitor and Impact Evaluation Assessment survey for communities, that showed low dog and cat sterilization rates in Bredasdorp East and Struisbaai North, and high euthanasia and shelter surrender rates at the Cape Agulhas Municipality animal control facility. The survey indicated that most pets are not kept inside the home or do not have suitable outdoor kennels. This resulted in cruel practices such as dogs being kept on heavy chains and pets suffering from severe untreated tick, mite, lice and fly infestations.

Audrey Delsink, wildlife director and acting campaign manager for HSI/Africa’s companion animal and engagement program, said: “HSI/Africa is very proud to launch its very first Healthy Pets, Healthier Community pilot program in Cape Agulhas. The program aims to improve the health and welfare of companion animals in these communities through enhancing the family and pet bond. This is being achieved through high sterilization and vaccination rates. Meaningful and effective community engagement and humane education will be central to the success of our program. We encourage the communities of Struisbaai North and Bredasdorp East to participate and help us implement locally humane solutions for their dogs and cats through affordable veterinary services.”

In addition, HSI/Africa also visited two local schools to teach students the importance of responsible pet care and to encourage them to bring their pets to the “sterithon” and clinic days in the areas. The talks were focused on more than 400 children, who received educational coloring books to help them learn about caring for their pets at home.

Cape Agulhas Municipality executive mayor Paul Swart said: “Roaming dogs are a real challenge in our communities. To change this situation, we need to better inform our communities and I want to commit myself to doing so, starting here with HSI/Africa. Cape Agulhas is the most Southern point in South Africa, and we want to become an example for the rest of the country. We want to be a humane society that cares for one another – not only for us as humans, but especially for our pets. Through the ’Healthy Pets, Healthier Community’ program we wish to change the mindsets of our people to help them become better parents to their pets. Healthy and happy pets can improve our personal health and bring happiness to our homes. We thank the HSI/Africa team for the work you’ve already done in Cape Agulhas, and we look forward to becoming kinder, animal-loving communities with you.”

HSI/Africa encourages all community members to register their animals for sterilization and bring their furry friends to upcoming clinics to be hosted in 2023. For enquiries about the Struisbaai North registration, call Trevor on (084) 511-8705 and for enquiries about the Bredasdorp East registration, call Kerri-Lee on (082) 712-8331. For program enquiries, call Audrey Delsink from HSI/Africa on (083) 390-0337.

For video and photos click here.

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Media contact: Leozette Roode, specialist media communications and meat reduction: LRoode@hsi.org ; 071 360 1104; E

Humane Society International / Mexico

Meredith Lee/HSI

MEXICO CITY—Humane Society International/Mexico congratulated the LXIV Legislature of the Tlaxcala State Congress members for recognizing and punishing animal abuse as a crime unanimously.

Dr. Claudia Edwards, programs director for HSI/Mexico, said: “We applaud the decision of legislators to combat and punish animal cruelty—in dog fighting in particular—complying with the provisions of article 87 bis 2 of the General Law of Ecological Balance and Environmental Protection.”

This reform to the Penal Code was presented last year by congresswoman Maribel León Cruz and was supported by different animal protection organizations, including Animal Rescue-Legal Defense Tlaxcala and HSI/Mexico, and several local individuals interested in animal welfare. With this decision, Chiapas is now the only federal state without penalties for animal abuse in its state criminal code.

HSI/Mexico has worked with various civil organizations for animal protection and with authorities in various states to assist in legislation to combat and eradicate all forms of animal cruelty.

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Media contact: Magaly Garibay: 55 5407 0502; mgaribay@idee.agency

Owner Mr Hiep works with Humane Society International in Viet Nam to exit the trade and save 18 remaining dogs for adoption

Humane Society International

Chau Doan/AP Images for HSI

HANOI, Viet Nam—The owner of a dog slaughterhouse and dog meat restaurant in Viet Nam, which killed thousands of dogs for human consumption over the past five years, has become the first in the country to take part in a new Models for Change program by animal protection group Humane Society International. The program helps people transition out of the cruel and dangerous dog meat trade.

Forty-year-old Mr Hiep of Thai Nguyen province—a dog meat hotspot—was eager to work with HSI’s team in Viet Nam to permanently close his dog meat business and stop slaughtering dogs, because he believes killing the animals brought his family bad luck. His business was responsible for killing an average of 10-15 dogs every day. HSI and officials from the Departments of Agriculture and of Animal Health were on site to help Mr Hiep close down his slaughter operation and rescue 18 dogs found alive at the property.

HSI’s Models for Change program is coming to Viet Nam after successfully operating in South Korea since 2015, where the HSI has closed down 17 dog meat farms so far, rescuing more than 2,500 dogs and helping dog farmers transition to more sustainable livelihoods such as chili or water parsley growing.

As well as tackling the tremendous animal cruelty associated with the capture, trafficking and slaughter of an estimated five million dogs a year for human consumption across Viet Nam, HSI’s Models for Change program will also provide workers with a way out of a trade that is known to facilitate the spread of the deadly rabies virus in Viet Nam. Rabies kills more than 70 people in Viet Nam each year, according to the World Health Organization, with most cases caused by dog bites, and several verified cases linked to dog slaughter and even dog meat consumption. Last month, authorities in Hanoi reported the death of a man who contracted rabies after slaughtering dogs for meat.

Phuong Tham, Humane Society International’s country director in Viet Nam, said: “We are very proud to bring our Models for Change program to Viet Nam. The dog meat trade is not only unbelievably cruel, but also poses a very grave risk to human health from the transmission of potentially lethal diseases like rabies. Mr Hiep is the first of what we hope will be many more people to leave this dangerous trade behind them, helping the government achieve its goal of eliminating human rabies deaths from dog interactions by 2030. We recognize that many people involved in the dog meat trade are keen to leave due to low profitability, societal and family shame as well as fears of bad karma. We hope our Vietnamese Models for Change program will become a key component of Viet Nam’s strategy to provide industry workers with alternative and economically viable livelihoods, whilst also supporting the government in its efforts to eliminate rabies.”

The 18 dogs rescued, some of whom had been locked up in cages for fattening to reach slaughter weight, were vaccinated against rabies and distemper, and moved to a nearby HSI-supported, temporary care and rehabilitation facility at the Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, to receive necessary medical care before being considered for local and international adoption. Mr Hiep plans to transform his business to sell agricultural services such as crop fertilizer, as well as groceries, green tea, beer and snacks to waiting customers.

Mr Hiep said: “I know in my heart that killing and eating dogs is wrong, and it was becoming harder and harder for me to do it. I am convinced that being part of this trade was bringing my family bad karma, so I am relieved to work with HSI in Viet Nam to end this chapter in my life and start afresh. The risk of spreading rabies through the dog meat trade is something we should all take very seriously, so I feel proud to be standing up for change in my community, and happy to know that the dogs who have been saved will be able to live new lives with families. It’s a good outcome for me, the dogs and my community.”

HSI conducted research in Thai Nguyen and Hanoi to establish that Viet Nam’s dog meat trade is largely supplied through snatching dogs from the streets or stealing pets from private homes. Traders frequently use poison bait such as meatballs laced with cyanide, and catch the dogs using painful taser guns and pincers. Pet theft and the arrest of pet thieves is frequently reported in the Vietnamese media, and devastated pet owners often buy back their beloved companions if they are fortunate enough to locate them after capture. Traders also go village to village by motorbike to purchase dogs from rural communities that occasionally sell “excess” dogs for extra income. Once there is a sufficient number of dogs to fill a truck, they are tightly packed into small cages and driven for hours or even days, many sustaining injuries as well as enduring exhaustion, dehydration, suffocation, heatstroke and even death before the truck reaches its final destination – a slaughterhouse, market or restaurant.

The link between rabies transmission and the dog meat trade has been well established by the World Health Organization, and the virus’s elimination is undermined by continued dog meat trade activities. Studies by the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology demonstrate that a significant percentage of patients in Viet Nam who become infected with the virus after contact with dogs, do so not due to a bite but after killing, butchering or eating dogs. The link between rabies and the dog meat trade is so well established that in 2018 and 2019, authorities in major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City urged citizens not to consume dog meat to reduce the risk of disease transmission.

Dr. Phan Thi Hong Phuc, dean of animal science and veterinary faculty at Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, said: “Rabies is endemic in Viet Nam, and the dog meat trade is a contributing factor to the spread of this virus to humans. So, we are very pleased to work with HSI in Viet Nam on Models For Change, a first-of-its kind program for our country demonstrating how dog meat trade workers can transition to better, safer livelihoods.”

Dog meat facts:

  • Viet Nam kills more dogs for meat than any other country in Southeast Asia.
  • While the sale and consumption of dog meat is not illegal in Viet Nam, the unregulated trans-provincial movement of dogs has been illegal since 2009, and pet theft was made a punishable offence in 2016. While several cities including Hanoi and Hoi An have pledged to end the trade, enforcement of laws is rare and trucks continue to openly transport hundreds of dogs at a time on national highways.
  • Unlike most other countries across Asia where the majority of citizens don’t eat dog meat, in Viet Nam dog meat —known as thịt chó— remains more popular, and is the go-to dish for special occasions. One recent study of dog meat consumption found that 11% of people in Hanoi and 1.5% of people in Ho Chi Minh City, regularly consume dog meat (at least once/month on average).
  • A belief by some consumers persists—despite no scientific evidence—that dog meat has medicinal properties and can increase male virility.
  • Dogs are usually killed with a knife to the jugular and heart, in full view of other dogs.
  • A 2016-2017 study of dog brain samples from Hanoi slaughterhouses commissioned by Asia Canine Protection Alliance (of which HSI is a member) in partnership with Viet Nam’s National Center for Veterinary Diagnosis showed that one in every 100 dogs had been infected with rabies, which is a high incidence rate.
  • Academic papers published in 2008 and 2011 are among those that establish the connection between the dog meat trade and rabies. Detailed references are available upon request.

Download video and photos of the dog slaughterhouse closure operation.

ENDS

Media contact: Wendy Higgins, director of international media: whiggins@hsi.org

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