Issue Type: Dog Meat Trade

Owner Mr. Cuong will start a gas cylinder supply business with support from Humane Society International

Humane Society International

Nhan Tran/AP Images for HSI

DONG NAI, Viet Nam—A dog meat restaurant and slaughterhouse in the Trang Bom district of Viet Nam’s Dong Nai province has closed after 20 years as part of the Models for Change program by animal protection charity Humane Society International. Launched in Viet Nam in 2022, the program helps people transition out of the cruel and dangerous dog and cat meat trade to tackle animal cruelty and rabies transmission in partnership with Dong Nai’s Department of Livestock, Animal Health and Fishery. Forty-year-old owner Mr. Dao Van Cuong plans to set up a business selling paint and subsequently also supplying household gas cylinders to local residents with a one-off startup grant from HSI.

Dong Nai province, situated in the south of Viet Nam and bordering Ho Chi Minh City, has around 500 restaurants serving both dog and cat meat. It is also a trafficking route for dogs headed for slaughter in the north of the country. HSI began working in the province at the request of city officials and to date HSI has supported rabies education activities for children, trained government veterinarians in spay/neuter techniques and conducted rabies prevention workshops throughout Dong Nai.

Phuong Tham, Humane Society International’s Viet Nam country director, said: “Here in Dong Nai and in Thai Nguyen we are proud to be helping the government achieve its goal of eliminating human rabies deaths from dog interactions by 2030, including by addressing the dog meat trade. Viet Nam cannot hope to eliminate rabies and meet that 2030 target without tackling this trade. We hope our Vietnamese Models for Change program will become a key component of Viet Nam’s strategy to provide alternative, economically viable livelihoods for those like Mr. Cuong who are dependent on the trade, and that the program will serve as a practical complement to legislative and regulatory reform.”

For more than two decades, the restaurant and slaughterhouse now run by Mr. Cuong has received shipments of thousands of dogs from across the country, who have been killed and served for human consumption. Across the province, live dogs are delivered to facilities like this, tightly packed in cages on trucks driving for hours from neighbouring Mekong Delta province. Many dogs are also supplied by local traders collecting dogs via motorbike from nearby residents who sell their pets or breed puppies for the meat trade. Mr. Cuong took over the business nine years ago but the guilt and stress he felt from killing dogs contributed to his decision to leave the dog meat trade once and for all and switch to an alternative livelihood.

Mr. Cuong said: “For nine years I’ve killed dogs and chickens, butchered them and served them to my customers. The money is okay but this work doesn’t make me happy at all. I don’t want to kill these animals anymore, it makes me feel bad. Selling paint and gas cylinders to local residents will be a much more peaceful business. I’m looking forward to a business where I have a clear conscience and I am not involved in slaughtering dogs. I couldn’t have made this move without the support of HSI’s Models for Change program and the Dong Nai authorities, so I’m grateful for all their support.”

On Mr. Cuong’s final day of business, HSI rescued the last remaining 16 dogs who were found cowering in cages at the back of the restaurant. HSI moved them to a temporary facility where they are receiving veterinary care—including neutering and vaccination against rabies and distemper—and will be assessed for local adoption. Many of the dogs have matted fur, skin conditions and infected eyes.

HSI’s Tham said: “These dogs were clearly terrified when we found them. They’ve been through an ordeal and came close to death for the dog meat trade, but thankfully we got them out just in time. For these dogs, the dog meat trade is over and no more dogs will ever suffer and die at this facility again. But for the millions of other dogs for whom the suffering continues across Viet Nam, and the millions of citizens whose health is put at risk from the spread of rabies and other diseases, we will continue to campaign to end this cruel and dangerous trade.

Following the rescue, HSI’s Viet Nam team held a round table meeting with Department of Animal Health officials from both Dong Nai and Thai Nguyen provinces at which provincial leaders agreed to propose a directive to their respective provincial People’s Council to ensure the strong enforcement of laws and regulations on rabies and cross provincial animal transport and slaughter, that would make it more difficult for the dog and cat meat trades to operate.

Rabies kills more than 70 people in Viet Nam each year, according to the World Health Organization, with almost all cases caused by dog bites, including verified cases and data from Viet Nam’s National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology showing human infection after killing, butchering or eating dogs. International organizations, including the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Organization for Animal Health and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations have set the goal to eliminate dog-mediated human rabies by 2030, with Viet Nam being one of the key target regions for achieving this milestone. Tackling the dog meat trade in Viet Nam is key to eliminating rabies.

Mr Nguyen Truong Giang, director of Dong Nai Provincial Department of Livestock Production and Animals Health, said: “When it comes to tackling rabies, we must address every way in which this disease is spread in Viet Nam. It’s clear that the dog meat trade contributes to the spread  of the virus, which is why we are pleased to be working with HSI’s Models for Change program to help dog and cat meat trade workers transition to better and safer livelihoods for themselves and their community.”

Dog meat facts:

  • 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.
  • Traders also go village to village to purchase dogs from rural communities that occasionally sell “excess” dogs for extra income.
  • For long distance transport, dogs are tightly packed into small cages and driven for hours or even days without food and water, many sustaining injuries as well as enduring exhaustion, dehydration, suffocation, heatstroke and even death to reach a slaughterhouse, market or restaurant.
  • The sale and consumption of dog meat is not illegal in Viet Nam, but 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.
  • Most people in Viet Nam don’t eat dog meat. An Aug./Sept. 2023 Nielsen opinion poll commissioned by HSI found that around one quarter of the population (24%) had consumed dog meat (thịt chó) in the last year, with 64% and 68% of respondents respectively supporting a ban on dog meat consumption and trade. A belief by some consumers persists—despite no scientific evidence—that dog meat has medicinal properties and can increase male virility.

HSI’s Models for Change program came to Viet Nam in 2022 after successfully operating in South Korea since 2015, where the HSI has closed down 18 dog meat farms, rescuing more than 2,500 dogs and helping dog farmers transition to more sustainable livelihoods such as chili or water parsley growing.

View photos and video. To download these visuals, email Wendy Higgins whiggins@hsi.org.

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

Campaigners urge newly elected President Prabowo to end the cruel and dangerous trades

Humane Society International

Garry Lotulung/AP Images for HSI

JAKARTA, Indonesia—Lawyers from the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition have submitted three legislative proposals to the House of Representatives to transform companion animal protection in Indonesia, including a ban on the cruel dog and cat meat trades. If passed, these would be Indonesia’s first ever laws dedicated to the protection of companion animals, and would make Indonesia the sixth nation in Asia to explicitly ban the dog and cat meat trades.

The draft laws were officially handed to Dr. Bob Hasan S.H., M.H., Head of Legislation, along with an open letter to newly elected President Prabowo on behalf of DMFI supporters from around the world urging him to take decisive action to end the trades.

DMFI—a coalition comprising national and international animal protection organizations Jakarta Animal Aid Network, Animal Friends Jogja, Humane Society International, Animals Asia and FOUR PAWS—has campaigned for an end to the dog and cat meat trades for years, conducting numerous shocking investigations into Indonesia’s underworld network of dog and cat thieves, traffickers, traders and slaughterers. As a result of DMFI campaigns, more than 70 cities, regencies and provinces ―including the Special Capital Region of Jakarta—have introduced directives and regulations to prohibit the trades. Despite this, there is no national ban in place, without which effective enforcement remains a challenge.

These groundbreaking proposals seek to significantly strengthen Indonesia’s national laws which currently are too weak to afford animals the legal protection they need from abuse and neglect. The three draft national legislative regulations comprise a national companion animal protection law, a government regulation to ban the dog and cat meat trades and a Presidential regulation to establish a taskforce to tackle deadly rabies. Combined, these would not only broaden the scope of what constitutes animal cruelty, abuse and neglect, but would also ensure penalties in line with the amended Criminal Code of 10-50 million IDR and up to 18 months in prison.

Karin Franken, DMFI national coordinator, said: “These historic legislative proposals provide a vital opportunity for Indonesia to eliminate the brutal and dangerous dog and cat meat trades once and for all, safeguarding the welfare of both people and animals. More than a million dogs and cats every year are stolen, trafficked and killed for meat in a trade that directly jeopardizes the health of the nation’s citizens. These animals endure grueling journeys, heatstroke, dehydration and disease, only to be bludgeoned, blowtorched and killed for a meat that virtually no-one in Indonesia eats.”

Lola Webber, DMFI international coordinator, added: “The cruel dog and cat meat trades also represent an unacceptable risk to human health and jeopardize Indonesia’s commitment to the Global Target of ‘Zero Deaths Due to Rabies’ by 2030. The dog meat trade and efforts to eliminate rabies are totally incompatible, given that the dog meat trade encourages the mass movement of dogs of unknown disease and vaccination status across provincial borders, disrupting canine vaccination efforts and facilitating the transmission of the deadly disease. The dog meat trade operates in breach of canine rabies elimination recommendations by all leading human and animal health experts and there is quantitative and qualitative evidence from throughout the region highlighting the risk these trades pose to public health. With rabies still endemic in 26 provinces nationwide, these are extraordinarily compelling reasons why we urge the parliament and President Prabowo to support the passage of these regulations and make Indonesia the next nation in Asia to ban the dog and cat meat trades.”

The three draft regulations explained:

  • National Law on the Elimination of Violence Against Companion Animals: This would criminalize a broad array of cruel acts including torture, neglect, electrocution, poisoning, cruel chaining or confinement, as well as physical and sexual abuse (bestiality). It would also enshrine in law the principles of responsible pet guardianship as well as establish an animal welfare committee to, among other things, advise on the formulation and implementation of animal welfare laws. This law also Includes prohibitions on all aspects of the dog and cat meat trades including stealing, catching, breeding, trafficking, selling or slaughtering dogs and cats for human consumption as well as selling dog and cat meat for such purposes.
  • Government Regulation on the Nationwide Ban on Dog and Cat Meat Trades: This would be Indonesia’s first ever nationwide law banning the dog and cat meat trades for both commercial and non-commercial purposes. Under this law it would become illegal to catch, transport or slaughter dogs and cats for consumption and to store, pack, process, distribute or sell their meat either through traditional or electronic markets.
  • Presidential Regulation on the creation of anti-rabies-transmitting animal meat trade: In recognition that rabies is a priority zoonotic disease endemic in 26 Indonesian provinces, with clearly established links to the dog meat trade, this law would support Indonesia’s One Health Roadmap to eliminate the disease in humans nationwide by 2030 by establishing a legal taskforce to work with law enforcement agencies to directly tackle the dog and cat meat trades. The taskforce would be empowered to carry out inspections and investigations and to advance enforcement and legal prosecutions in cases of infringements.

A Nielsen opinion poll in January 2021, commissioned by DMFI, revealed that 93% of Indonesians support a national dog meat ban with fewer than 5% having ever consumed dog meat and 88% agreeing that the issues of the dog meat trade and consumption of dog meat need to be addressed immediately by all political parties.

Across Asia the trade in and slaughter, sale and consumption of dogs and cats is explicitly banned in Taiwan, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Thailand and South Korea (coming into force 2027). In other countries such as Singapore and Malaysia, while there are no explicit bans, the trade is essentially prohibited under existing animal welfare, animal cruelty and animal or food hygiene laws. In addition, the trades are banned in two major cities in mainland China (Shenzhen and Zuhai) and the city of Siem Reap in Cambodia. If passed into law, the proposed regulations would make Indonesia the sixth nation or territory in Asia to explicitly ban the trades.

Now that the regulations have been submitted to Parliament, a period of review and discussion will take place later this month to decide if the national law is approved for inclusion in the national legislative program. If approved, and following a public hearing, a dog and cat meat trades ban could be in place within five years. The government regulation would then be created no later than two years afterwards as an implementing regulation of that new national law. President Prabowo himself has full discretion to ratify the Presidential regulation at any time following discussion with the Parliament.

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Humane Society International / South Korea

HSI 

SEOUL—As South Korea’s government today published its much-anticipated Basic Plan for the phase out of the dog meat industry, animal campaigners at Humane Society International/Korea have welcomed it as an “important milestone in this historic plan” and called on other countries across Asia to follow suit. However, more action is needed to prevent unnecessary dog suffering, says HSI/Korea.

Sangkyung Lee, HSI/Korea’s end dog meat campaign manager, made the following statement:

“Publication of the government’s Basic Plan to phase out South Korea’s dog meat industry marks an important milestone in this historic ban that will see it through to completion and end our country’s dog meat era for good. We hope that other countries across Asia where the dog meat trade persists despite public opposition will follow South Korea’s lead so that our Special Act and Basic Plan can be the catalyst for similar compassionate action around the world. HSI/Korea stands ready to further advise the government on dog welfare, and to rescue dogs where we can so that innocent victims of this brutal dog meat industry have a chance of a happy life.”

Regarding the financial support plan for dog meat farmers, HSI/Korea’s Lee said: “We are disappointed that the government’s Basic Plan provides financial support for dog farms based on the number of dogs. While limits are set based on the reported capacity of waste disposal facilities, this approach risks potentially increasing dog breeding with the aim of getting more money from the scheme, with more puppies being born into suffering. This completely goes against the purpose of the special law, risks subjecting even more dogs to unnecessary suffering and could actually make the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs’ job of dog farm population management even harder in the long-term. We urge MAFRA to rethink this idea and switch instead to a fixed financial amount or support package based on each farmer’s transition business plan.”

On the issue of managing the remaining dogs during and after the phase-out period, Lee added: “More urgent discussions are clearly needed about practical steps that must be prioritized to stop puppies being born on farms during the phase out period. The government must actively engage with local governments and animal protection groups like HSI/Korea, to ensure that farmers immediately separate male and female dogs on farms to stop breeding. There is no excuse for even more innocent puppies to be born into this cruel industry precisely at a time when the goal is to end it.”

Facts:

  • With over 6 million pet dogs now living in Korean homes, demand for dog meat is at an all-time low. A 2023 Nielsen Korea opinion polls shows that 86% of South Koreans won’t eat dog meat in the future and 57% support a ban.
  • Since 2015, HSI/Korea has helped 18 dog farmers across South Korea switch to growing crops such as chili plants and parsley, or water delivery and other livelihoods as part of its Models for Change program.
  • South Korea joins a growing list of governments across Asia that have banned the dog meat trade (with varying degrees of enforcement) including Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, India, Thailand and Singapore, as well as the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai in mainland China, Siem Reap province in Cambodia, and more than 60 cities, regencies and provinces in Indonesia.

Click here to view video and photos of HSI/Korea’s dog meat farm closure program. Contact whiggins@hsi.org to download visuals.

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Humane Society International / India

Despite being illegal in India, thousands of dogs are killed each year for the dog meat trade. HSI/India exposed this cruelty with shocking video footage from the Northeastern state of Nagaland, where more than 30,000 street dogs and stolen pets are captured, slaughtered and sold in live markets annually.

The dog meat trade in India is exceptionally brutal. Dogs are taken from the streets, and pets are stolen from their communities to supply the trade. The dogs are tied up in jute sacks with only their heads exposed, their mouths either tightly bound or stitched shut to keep them silent. They are then transported many miles to markets on the back of trucks. During the transport, the dogs remain confined in these sacks, deprived of movement, food, and water. Once they reach the market they are displayed in the sack and await slaughter. The killing methods are gruesome, with dogs being clubbed to death out of public view but in full view of other dogs.

Although India’s Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and associated regulations make the dog meat trade and consumption illegal, the practice persists in some states in India mostly in the Northeastern states.

HSI/India is actively working to end the consumption of dog meat in India, with a particular focus on Nagaland in 2024-2025, where there is increasing support for a dog meat ban. A ban was introduced in Nagaland in 2020 but was overturned by the Kohima High Court in May 2023 following challenges from dog meat traders.

As well as lobbying for re-enactment of the ban, HSI/India’s efforts are centered on stopping the sale of live dogs and dog meat in Nagaland markets, reducing the number of vendors involved by providing alternative livelihood options (many traders are women forced into the trade due to poverty), and curbing the smuggling of dogs from Assam, a primary supply source. Additionally, HSI/India will be working with local organizations and enforcement agencies to strengthen their ability to enforce existing regulations that could effectively reduce the trade.

Humane Society International / South Korea

A ban on the dog meat industry will come into effect until 2027. Meanwhile, call for a dog meat-free Bok Nal.

Up to 2.5 million South Koreans identify as vegan

Humane Society International / South Korea

Rescued from a dog meat farm
Jean Chung

SEOUL—More than 20 Korean animal protection groups and hundreds of citizens are expected to gather in Seoul on July 13 to mark the start of South Korea’s first Bok Nal since the National Assembly voted in January to ban the dog meat industry.

Although appetite for dog meat soup (bosintang ) is at an all-time low, its consumption is most popular during Bok Nal, when it is believed by some to help beat the heat. This Bok Nal—which begins on July 15—Humane Society International/Korea is urging citizens to have a dog meat-free Bok Nal and believes the phase out plan and government support offers dog meat farmers an opportunity to leave behind them a dying industry with no financial future and embrace South Korea’s growing plant-based food culture.

A 2021 Statista survey estimates that up to 2.5 million people in South Korea identify as vegan and HSI/Korea believes instead of converting farms to rear other animals such as black goats or pigs, dog farmers should capitalize on consumer interest in eating for human health, animal welfare and the planet.

Since 2015 HSI/Korea’s Models for Change program has worked with 18 dog meat farmers, providing one-off grants to transition them out of the industry to a new life.

HSI/Korea’s dog meat campaign manager, Sangkyung Lee, says: “While some of the elderly dog meat farmers with whom HSI/Korea has worked have chosen to retire, most farmers have transitioned their businesses to humane, sustainable livelihoods such as growing crops, water delivery and other trades. With government support, it should be entirely possible for most dog farmers to switch to humane industries that don’t exploit dogs or any other animals such as black goats or pigs. With more South Koreans than ever before exploring healthier plant-based eating, it would be a smart move for dog farmers to switch to producing the fresh vegetables and herbs that consumers are seeking for meat-free cooking.”

The South Korean market for plant-based foods is booming. The Korea Vegan Union estimates that one-third of the population regularly enjoy vegetarian meals, and surveys show that Korean consumers are increasingly interested in eating more meat-free meals for health and environmental protection reasons.  In a Nielsen Korea opinion poll commissioned by HSI/Korea in 2023, 32.1% of respondents believe that no animals should be killed for meat. The Korea Rural Economic Institute forecasts that the domestic plant-based alternative food market size will grow to KRW 280 billion by 2026, and the Korean Tourism Organization has even launched the country’s first ever vegan food tour to capitalize on its vibrant plant-based cuisine.

In addition to the market opportunities of plant-based agriculture, HSI/Korea believes that transitioning to farming other animals such as black goats or pigs would simply replace one work intensive and environmentally polluting animal-based industry with another.

Sangkyung Lee explains: “With improved environmental protection regulations in South Korea, one of the most common complaints local authorities receive about dog farms is the noise and the smell. We know that this has caused major issues for many dog farmers, so why repeat those issues with pigs and goats when you can grab this opportunity for a more peaceful and sustainable arable farming venture that plugs into people’s passion for healthful plant-based foods?”

The Special Act on the Prohibition of Dog Meat Consumption will see the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs for meat banned by 2027. Dog meat farms, slaughterhouses and restaurants that submit a closure implementation plan by August 5 will qualify for government financial support to close or transition to a new business. By September, the government will publish its Basic Plan to End Dog Meat Consumption which is intended to include practical details of how it intends to phase out the estimated 1,507 dog meat farms, 163 dog slaughterhouses, 2,276 dog meat restaurants and how to address the more than 500,000 dogs who are estimated to be living on dog meat farms.

South Korea now joins a growing list of countries, territories, provinces, cities and regencies across Asia that have banned the dog meat trade (with varying degrees of enforcement), including Hong Kong, Taiwan, the Philippines, India, Thailand and Singapore, as well as the cities of Shenzhen and Zhuhai in mainland China, Siem Reap province in Cambodia, and 45 cities, regencies and provinces in Indonesia. In 2022 HSI expanded its Models for Change program into Viet Nam where 5 million dogs and 1 million cats are trafficked and killed annually for meat; so far six dog or cat meat businesses have closed and transitioned as a result of the program.

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

Notes

This survey was conducted online in August 2023, targeting 1,500 respondents aged 18 to 59, considering gender, age and regional demographics, with margin of error +-2.53%.

More than 50 puppies are rescued by Humane Society International

Humane Society International / Viet Nam

Meredith Lee/HSUS

THAI NGUYEN , Viet Nam—More than 50 puppies have been rescued from two dog meat fattening farms in Thai Nguyen as part of a joint effort between the local government and animal charity Humane Society International to crack down on the dog meat trade in one of Viet Nam’s dog meat hotspots. The owners of the two facilities, where puppies were bought from local villages and fattened up for weeks to reach slaughter weight, plan to transition to new sustainable livelihoods, one an agricultural supply store and the other a crop smallholding.

Download video and images of the rescue..

These are the fourth and fifth dog or cat meat trade businesses to close under HSI’s Models for Change program, coming less than three months after Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh signed a directive instructing local authorities to strictly implement rabies prevention and control. The link between the dog meat trade and the spread of deadly rabies has been well established by the World Health Organization and others. The trade undermines rabies elimination efforts because it removes vaccinated dogs who are stolen for the meat trade from local communities, effectively removing the barrier to stopping the spread of rabies. This is a compelling driver to end the trade, as is the suffering and killing of 5 million dogs and 1 million cats a year for meat in Viet Nam.

HSI has a three-year agreement with the governments in Dong Nai and Thai Nguyen to transition businesses away from the dog and cat meat trades, implement rabies vaccination and humane dog population management programs as well as promote public awareness campaigns to discourage dog and cat meat consumption. HSI will also work with law enforcement agencies to crack down on dog and cat trafficking activities.

Fifty-two-year old Mr Phạm Dũng ran his puppy fattening farm for seven years before contacting HSI’s Viet Nam team to begin the process of closing up. Supplying puppies to local dog meat restaurants and slaughterhouses for so long has taken its toll on him and he feels deep remorse at the lives he has sent to slaughter.

Mr Dũng told HSI: “I’m looking forward to putting the dog meat trade behind me and growing crops instead. Harvesting beansprouts and sweet potatoes will be a lot more peaceful than fattening puppies for slaughter, and a lot better for my mental health knowing I’m not causing any suffering. It’s also a healthier lifestyle with no links to rabies, so my family and I are happy about this.”

Thirty-five-year old Mr Trần Lê Hậu plans to open an agricultural supply store in his local community supplying seeds and fertilizer for crop cultivation.

“When I first launched this business three years ago, I hoped it would be profitable, but I no longer want to be involved in the dog meat trade,” he said. “I know about the dangers of rabies and other diseases, and I don’t want that for my family or my community.”

Most dogs killed for meat in Viet Nam are stolen pets or strays snatched from the streets using poison bait, painful taser guns, pincers or ropes. Others are smuggled in on trucks and buses from surrounding countries such as Cambodia. Puppy fattening farms, which rely on traders going village to village on motorbikes to exchange puppies for cooking pots or cash,  represent a smaller part of the trade but in dog meat hotspots like Thai Nguyen the farms are far more common.  The puppies are crammed together in small cages and driven for hours to facilities like those run by Mr Dũng and Mr Hậu for fattening up, many enduring dehydration, suffocation, heatstroke and even death on the journey.

Quang Nguyen, HSI’s Viet Nam companion animals and engagement program manager, said: “The dog meat trade in Viet Nam is not only an animal welfare disaster but also incompatible with canine rabies elimination efforts. The mass, unregulated production and movement of puppies and dogs to supply fattening farms, restaurants and slaughterhouses contravenes internationally recognized guidelines issued by human and animal health experts on how to control and ultimately eliminate rabies.”

Dr Katherine Polak, HSI’s vice president of companion animals and engagement, said: “HSI is working towards ending the trade nationwide so projects like our Models for Change program, in tandem with dog vaccination, law enforcement and public awareness campaigns, are vital to crack down on this cruel and dangerous business. For the more than 50 puppies we’ve rescued from these two facilities, it’s been a lucky escape from the brutal dog meat trade and we look forward to seeing them start their journeys to find loving homes.”

Recent HSI research in Viet Nam has shone a spotlight on the vast network of dog thieves, traffickers and traders who operate across the country. In January this year, investigators observed dogs being brutally treated in holding centres in Thanh Hoa province where they were jabbed with metal poles, dragged by the neck with tongs and crammed into cages in the sweltering heat to be transported for slaughter. The investigators filmed truckloads of dogs, each carrying up to 500 animals, being taken on the highways on journeys lasting many hours without water, food or rest.

The HSI Models for Change project was attended by representatives from Thai Nguyen and Dong Nai provincial Department of Animal Health as well as the central government’s Department of Livestock Production and the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

Mr Vinh Le Dac, director of Thai Nguyen Animal Husbandry, Veterinary and Fisheries Sub-department, said: “Rabies is a common disease in Viet Nam and the dog meat trade is a cause contributing to the spread  of the virus. Therefore, we are very pleased to collaborate with HSI in Viet Nam in the Models for Change program to contribute to promoting companion animal welfare and eliminating rabies in the province. Models for Change contributes to helping dog and cat meat restaurant, slaughterhouse and farm owners transition to better and safer livelihoods for themselves and the community.”

The more than 50 puppies rescued from the two fattening farms have been transported to custom-made sheltering at Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry where they will be vaccinated against rabies and receive medical care and rehabilitation before being made available for local adoption.

Dog meat fact:

  • HSI originally launched Models for Change in South Korea as part of a strategy to demonstrate to the government that a phase out of the dog meat industry there was achievable in cooperation instead of in conflict with dog farmers. Having played an instrumental role in creating the political momentum that ultimately led to a legislative ban in South Korea, HSI launched Models for Change in Viet Nam in 2022.
  • Most people in Viet Nam don’t eat dog meat. An Aug./Sept. 2023 Nielsen opinion poll commissioned by HSI found that around one quarter of the population (24%) had consumed dog meat (thịt chó) in the last year, with 64% and 68% of respondents respectively supporting a ban on dog meat consumption and trade. A belief by some consumers persists—despite no scientific evidence—that dog meat has medicinal properties and can increase male virility.
  • HSI research shows that dog meat is not an expensive delicacy, costing from 150,000 – 200,000 VND ($6 – $8) per dish in Thai Nguyen.
  • Data from Viet Nam’s National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology shows that a significant proportion of rabies patients become infected with the virus after killing, butchering or eating dogs, as well as from bites. Studies of brain samples of dogs collected from slaughterhouses in northern and southern provinces have also tested positive for the rabies virus.

Download video and photos of HSI closing down the puppy fattening farms

Download video and photos of Viet Nam’s dog and cat meat trade

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The Nielsen survey was conducted online in August and September 2023, targeting 800 respondents aged 25 to 60, considering gender, age and regional demographics, with margin of error +-2.53%.

Humane Society International / Southeast Asia

Chau Doan AP Images for HSI

HANOI—Viet Nam’s Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has been urged to take decisive action to end the country’s trafficking and slaughter of 6 million dogs and cats for meat every year, if his recent Directive to tackle deadly rabies is to be successful.

Rabies is endemic in Viet Nam with government statistics reporting an increase in human deaths, including 82 human rabies-related deaths last year across 30 provinces and cities and 27 deaths in the first three months of 2024. Nearly 70,000 people required rabies prophylaxis treatment. Interaction with dogs through bites as well as dog meat butchery and consumption—are responsible for 99% of rabies transmissions to humans. While the Prime Minister’s Directive rightly calls on provincial authorities to increase dog vaccination rates, global animal welfare experts Humane Society International warn that such efforts will forever be undermined as long as the country’s dog and cat meat trades continue unabated.

Phuong Tham, Viet Nam director for Humane Society International, said: “The most effective way of eradicating rabies in humans is to eliminate the disease in dogs. Mass canine vaccination is therefore vital, but so too is ensuring that those vaccinated dogs remain in their localities so that herd immunity is created. It is virtually impossible to achieve that herd immunity while dog traders are stealing and trafficking millions of dogs around the country. Every single month in Viet Nam there are tens of thousands of dogs of unknown disease and vaccination status being stuffed into trucks and driven from once province to another, disrupting any potential benefit from canine vaccination and helping to spread new rabies infections. We must also stop the unregulated importation of unvaccinated, and possibly rabies infected dogs from neighbouring countries including Cambodia and Laos, which threatens provincial rabies control programs.”

Recommendations from leading human and animal health experts―including the World Health Organization, Global Alliance for Rabies Control, World Organisation for Animal Health, Pan American Health Organization and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United States ―stipulate that mass dog vaccination must happen in lockstep with restricting mass dog movements so that a sufficiently high level of rabies vaccination coverage remains in the stable dog population to interrupt rabies transmission.

Dr. Katherine Polak, veterinarian and HSI’s vice president of companion animals, says: “Allowing the dog and cat meat trades to continue essentially unravels all the hard work of vaccination programs and puts humans throughout the supply and demand chain in direct contact with potentially rabies-infected dogs and cats. So while we very much welcome Prime Minister Chính’s Directive, we urge him to go further and bring forward a nationwide ban on the dog and cat meat trades. The recent ban in South Korea on the dog meat industry there demonstrates that where there is political will, we can achieve great strides forward to protect people and animals.”

HSI also calls on the Ministry of Information and Communications to include anti-dog meat trade messaging in its public awareness raising outreach to ensure that the public is aware of how much such activities increase the risk of rabies transmission.

There is considerable evidence spanning decades from throughout Asia of the link between the dog meat trade and rabies transmission. Studies from Viet Nam, China and Indonesia have shown that rabies-positive dogs and carcasses often appear in markets and slaughterhouses. In one study in Viet Nam, 16.4% of samples tested positive. The movement of different strains of the rabies virus in dogs being traded for human consumption has also been tracked. There have been a number of human rabies deaths in Viet Nam directly linked to slaughtering, butchering, handling and consumption of meat from infected dogs. For example, in 2007 in Ba Vi a rabies outbreak saw 30% of human deaths linked to exposure during the slaughter and butchery of dogs, according to the Department of Animal Health.

HSI’s team in Viet Nam has been campaigning to end the dog and cat meat trades since 2020. Most recently, the charity expanded its Models for Change program in South Korea helping dog meat farmers transition out of the industry, to also include dog and cat meat slaughterhouses and restaurants in Viet Nam. The program facilitates the transition of dog and cat meat-related businesses in Dong Hai and Thai Nguyen in addition to which HSI now has a three-year agreement with the government in both provinces to advance an holistic approach to tackling rabies through a rabies vaccination program, humane dog population management, public awareness campaigns to discourage dog and cat meat consumption, and law enforcement of anti-dog and cat trafficking activities.

Dog meat facts:
  • On 14 March 2024, the Prime Minister issued Directive No. 22/CD-TTg calling on provincial authorities to establish local taskforces to implement rabies prevention and control measures. Those localities with low dog/cat rabies vaccination rates were advised to expand coverage.
  • A recent Nielsen opinion poll (Aug – Sept 2023) commissioned by HSI found that around one quarter of the population (24%) had consumed dog meat (thịt chó) in the last year, most notably in north Viet Nam (40%). A significant proportion of respondents support a ban – 64% and 68% respectively support banning dog meat consumption and trade, while 71% equally support banning cat meat consumption and trade.
  • HSI research shows that dog meat is not an expensive delicacy, costing from 150,000 – 200,000 VND ($6 – $8) per dish in Thai Nguyen.
  • While the sale and consumption of dog meat is not illegal in Viet Nam, both the unregulated trans-provincial movement of dogs and pet theft are punishable offences. Officials in several cities including Hanoi and Hoi An have pledged to end the trade, but law enforcement is rare.
  • Data from Viet Nam’s National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology shows that a significant proportion of patients become infected with the rabies virus after killing, butchering or eating dogs, as well as from bites.
  • Studies of brain samples of dogs collected from slaughterhouses in northern and southern provinces have also tested positive for the rabies virus.
  • In 2018 and 2019, the authorities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City respectively urged citizens not to consume dog meat to reduce their risk of disease transmission.

Download video and photos of HSI closing down a dog slaughterhouse.

ENDS

Humane Society International / Southeast Asia

Humane Society International, Change For Animals Foundation, Jakarta Animal Aid Network, and Animal Friends Jogja

JAKARTA―Indonesia’s animal-loving public rallied outside the House of Representatives in the capital Jakarta today to deliver a letter calling on the government to introduce a nationwide ban on the cruel dog and cat meat trades. More than a million companion animals are stolen, trafficked and brutally killed for meat each year across Indonesia. They endure grueling journeys to supply demand hotspots, many dying on the way from heatstroke, dehydration, disease or injuries inflicted during capture and transport. Those who survive are taken to slaughterhouses and markets where they are bludgeoned and killed in full view of other dogs and cats.

The rally, led by the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition and Animals Hope Shelter in collaboration with five other national groups and coalitions*, follows the high-profile interception last month of 226 dogs in Central Java being trafficked for meat. It also comes just weeks after the parliament in South Korea passed a national ban on the dog meat industry there, which campaigners hope will inspire the Indonesian government to act.

DMFI has campaigned for an end to these trades for years, conducting numerous shocking investigations into the underworld network of dog and cat thieves, traffickers, traders and slaughterers. As a result of DMFI campaigns, more than 50 cities, regencies and provinces across Indonesia―including the Special Capital Region of Jakarta―have introduced bans on the trades, but campaigners say that without a robustly enforced national ban, the trades will continue unabated.

Evidence from both Indonesia and throughout the region has demonstrated the rabies risk the dog meat trade poses, facilitating its transmission and hindering attempts to eliminate the fatal disease, jeopardising the ASEAN pledge to eliminate dog-mediated rabies by 2030.

Lola Webber, director of campaigns to End Dog Meat at Humane Society International, a DMFI member group, says: “More than a million dogs and untold numbers of cats are snatched from their homes or the streets and endure immense cruelty for the meat trade in Indonesia. This trade continues despite the fact that only a small fraction of the population eats dog and cat meat and the trade poses a very real threat to the health of the whole nation by facilitating the spread of deadly rabies and other diseases. Most people here in Indonesia want a national ban to end this cruelty once and for all, and all of us attending this rally hope that the example recently set by South Korea will inspire Indonesia to become the next country in Asia to ban this trade for good.”

A Nielsen opinion poll in January 2021, commissioned by DMFI, revealed that 93% of Indonesians support a national dog meat ban with fewer than 5% having ever consumed dog meat and 88% agreeing that the issues of the dog meat trade and consumption of dog meat need to be addressed immediately by all political parties.

Karin Franken, founder of Jakarta Animal Aid Network, a DMFI member group, said: “We are rallying here alongside national animal protection groups and activists on behalf of the millions of dog and cat-loving and concerned citizens across Indonesia, to call for a national ban on the brutal dog and cat meat trades. These trades are intolerably cruel and dangerous, and it’s time for our government to prioritize the health and welfare of both animals and people by implementing a nationwide ban.”

Karen O’Malley, Programme Manager for Ending the Dog and Cat Meat Trade at FOUR PAWS International, a DMFI member group, said: “Across Asia, an estimated 30 million cats and dogs are stolen from their homes or the streets, transported long distances in awful conditions, then brutally slaughtered for their meat, every single year. Now is the time for this cruel trade to be brought to an end, for the health and welfare of both animals and humans. We are hopeful that Indonesia, along a number of their Southeast Asian neighbours, will follow South Korea in introducing a nationwide ban.’

Facts
  • The dog meat trade is now banned in more than 50 cities, regencies and provinces across Indonesia. In July 2023, Indonesia’s notorious Tomohon “Extreme” Market in North Sulawesi province introduced a ban on dog and cat slaughter and meat trade sales, following negotiations with DMFI members Humane Society International and Animal Friends Manado Indonesia.
  • In addition to the 50+ 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, South Korea (coming into force 2027) and two major cities in mainland China.
  • Dog Meat Free Indonesia is a coalition of national and international animal protection organizations 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.

ENDS

* Full list of participating groups:  DMFI coalition, JAAN domestic, Humane Society International, FOUR PAWS International, Animals Asia, Animal Friends Jogja, Natha Satwa Nusantara, Koalisi Perlindungan Hewan Indonesia, Animal Friends Manado Indonesia, Animal Hope Shelter, Animals Don’t Speak Human, LBH Perlindungan Hewan Indonesia.

A copy of the letter submitted to the House of representatives is available here (ENG) and here (Bahsasa Indonesia)

Photos and videos of dog meat trading operations in Java, copyright Dog Meat Free Indonesia

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Indonesia

  • Lola Webber, Humane Society International’s director of campaigns to End Dog Meat, and DMFI coordinator, lolawebber@yahoo.co.uk; +6281337408768
  • Karin Franken, Jakarta Animal Aid Network Founder, and national coordinator Dog Meat Free Indonesia Coalition, jaan_adopt@yahoo.com; +6282122487794

Humane Society International / Indonesia

Garry Lotulung/AP Images for HSI

JAKARTA, Indonesia—Twenty four dogs rescued from a slaughterhouse at Indonesia’s Tomohon “Extreme” Market in North Sulawesi province have flown from Indonesia to the United States in search of loving families. Poppy, Romeo, Wendy, Mia, Rocky and friends were saved by animal charities Humane Society International and Animal Friends Manado Indonesia after the organizations negotiated an historic ban on the dog and cat meat trades at the Tomohon market in July last year.

HSI transported the 24 dogs, including Abbie, Lano, Jilly, Oliver and Root,  to its care and rehabilitation center near Washington, D.C., in the United States, where they are now receiving soft beds, nutritious food, toys, veterinary care and time to heal from their ordeal. After this initial phase, they will be placed with shelter and rescue partners where they will be prepared for adoption into loving homes.

  • Photos/video of their journey to the USA HERE
  • Photos/video of their rescue HERE

On the day the market ban came into force, the HSI and AFMI campaigners saved a total of 25 dogs and three cats from being bludgeoned and blowtorched to death for human consumption. One dog named Daisy was subsequently adopted by HSI rescuer Lola Webber who lives in Indonesia, and all three cats also found loving homes on the island country. More than 130,000 dogs and countless cats annually are slaughtered in public markets across Indonesia’s island of Sulawesi, with more than 1 million dogs a year killed for the meat trade nationwide.

Lola Webber, HSI’s director of Ending Dog Meat campaigns, said: “For dogs like Daisy, change came literally just in time in Tomohon. As proud adopter of Daisy, who utterly stole my heart when we rescued her, I am filled with hope for these wonderful dogs as they begin their journey to find happy homes in the United States. Daisy was at one of the slaughterhouses we closed down that supplied Tomohon Extreme Market, and which alone had killed hundreds of these terrified animals every week for years. It was a filthy place with a blood-stained floor and emaciated dogs crammed in steel cages, peering out desperately. I will never forget the look of fear in their eyes.

These poor animals witnessed and experienced unimaginable brutality and traumatizing cruelty. But I know how transformative love can be for dogs and cats rescued from the meat trade. Sweet Daisy is living proof that with kindness, patience and compassion, these dogs can look forward to happy futures surrounded by families who love them. Daisy is adored by my husband and me and our four children, and is living the life all dogs deserve. I can’t wait to see the same happy ending for Romeo, Poppy, Rocky and friends.”

The ban at Tomohon market introduced by Mayor Caroll Senduk not only shut down this cruel trade at the market itself, but also impacted the vast network of animal thieves and traffickers across the entire province for whom sales at the market were a prime motivation. As a leading member of the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition, HSI has helped achieve bans on the dog and cat meat trades in 40 cities and regencies so far, with provinces also pledging action to eradicate the trade, and the charity aims for further victories in 2024. The ultimate goal is a nationwide ban on the dog and cat meat trades, which HSI hopes Indonesia’s policy makers will feel inspired to introduce following the ban just passed in South Korea.

Ms Webber says: “In addition to the immense animal suffering the dog and cat meat trades cause, they also pose a very real danger to public health, particularly through the spread of the deadly rabies virus. Dog capture, transport, killing, butchery and consumption can all facilitate rabies transmission, and rabies-positive dogs have been found for sale at markets throughout Indonesia. So, there are compelling animal and human welfare reasons for Indonesia to be the next country in Asia to finally ban this trade.”

In November last year a host of Hollywood and Indonesian stars wrote a letter to President Joko Widodo urging him to ban the dog and cat meat trades. The letter, signed by stars including Kim Basinger, Courteney Cox, Andie McDowell, Dame Judi Dench, Alicia Silverstone, Leona Lewis OBE, Daisy Fuentes, Billie Eilish, Charlize Theron and Clint Eastwood, alongside Indonesian mega-stars Bubah Alfian, Cinta Laura Kiehl, D.J Bryant, Davina Veronica, Luna Maya, Prilly Latuconsia, called for a ban “so that we can soon celebrate a truly dog and cat meat-free Indonesia.”  The stars went on to say: “We stand strong with the overwhelming majority of Indonesian citizens and international visitors who oppose the dog and cat meat trades and believe in protecting animals from cruelty and exploitation.”

HSI’s rescues and dog transports are conducted in compliance with national and local animal and public health recommendations. Following their rescue, the animals were evaluated by a veterinarian, treated for endo- and ectoparasites, vaccinated against rabies, distemper, hepatitis, parvo virus, parainfluenza, leptospira and screened for illness as needed to ensure the health of each animal and to comply with international export and import requirements. On arrival in the United States, the dogs were further cleared by the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention before being received at the care and rehabilitation center.

Download photos and video of the dogs and cats being rescued here

Download photos and video of the dogs on their Indonesia to USA journey here

Download photos and video of the dog meat trade at Tomohon Extreme Market (May 2023) here

A list of the shelter and rescue partners at which the dogs are placed will be available here once that information becomes available.

ENDS

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