Issue Type: Dog Meat Trade

‘This is history in the making I never thought I would see in my lifetime,’ says JungAh Chae, director of HSI/Korea

Humane Society International / South Korea

Jean Chung

SEOUL—South Korea’s National Assembly has today voted through a ban on the dog meat industry in what animal campaigners at Humane Society International/Korea have called “history in the making.” Up to 1 million dogs a year are factory farmed and killed for human consumption in the country. The ban, which comes into force in six months’ time with a three-year phase out, will make the breeding, slaughter and sale of dogs and dog meat for human consumption illegal from 2027, with penalties of up to three years’ imprisonment or a fine of up to 30 million KRW.*

This news follows considerable public and political momentum. 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 poll shows that 86% of South Koreans won’t eat dog meat in the future and 57% support a ban.

JungAh Chae, executive director of Humane Society International/Korea, which has campaigned tirelessly for a ban, welcomed the news by saying: “This is history in the making. I never thought I would see in my lifetime a ban on the cruel dog meat industry in South Korea but this historic win for animals is testament to the passion and determination of our animal protection movement. We reached a tipping point where most Korean citizens reject eating dogs and want to see this suffering consigned to the history books, and today our policymakers have acted decisively to make that a reality. While my heart breaks for all the millions of dogs for whom this change has come too late, I am overjoyed that South Korea can now close this miserable chapter in our history and embrace a dog-friendly future.”

Dog farmers, slaughterers and restaurant owners will be eligible to apply for compensation, and after review, government support will be offered to transition or close those businesses, similar to the Models for Change program run by HSI/Korea. Since 2015, HSI has helped 18 dog farmers across South Korea switch to growing crops such as chili plants and parsley, or water delivery and other livelihoods.

HSI/Korea urges the government to use the three-year phase out period to work with animal groups including HSI/Korea to rescue as many dogs as possible in a state-sponsored, coordinated effort.

Kitty Block and Jeff Flocken, respectively CEO and president of HSI globally, issued a joint statement, saying: “This is a truly momentous day for our campaign to end the horrors of the dog meat industry in South Korea, and one we have been hoping to see for a very long time. Having been to dog meat farms, we know only too well the suffering and deprivation these desperate animals endure in the name of an industry for whom history has now thankfully called time. This ban signals the end of dog meat farming and sales in South Korea, and we stand ready to contribute our expertise until every cage is empty.”

South Korea now joins a growing list of countries and territories 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.

Download video and photos of HSI/Korea’s dog meat farm closure program in action here.

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Media contacts:

  • South Korea: Haewon Lee, media and communications manager; hlee@hsi.org
  • United Kingdom: Wendy Higgins, director, international media; whiggins@hsi.org

Notes: The legislation includes a penalty of up to two years of imprisonment or a fine of up to 20 million KRW for the breeding and sale of dogs for consumption, and up to three years of imprisonment or a fine of up to 30 million KRW for the slaughter of dogs for human consumption.

Humane Society International / South Korea

Jean Chung/For HSI

SEOUL—One month after the South Korean government announced a bill to ban the dog meat industry, 27 dogs rescued from a dog meat farm in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do have flown to the United States in search of loving homes. At the time of rescue in March this year by animal charity Humane Society International/Korea, these dogs—including Bumblebee, Parker, Trudy, Bruno and Mia—had not even been born yet when HSI/Korea saved their pregnant mums. Although previously too young to fly overseas, Nana, Nadia, Corbin, Covy Chico and the others are now old enough to make the journey. Mother dogs Raspberry and Zelda will also fly with their grown pups.

All had been fated to be killed for their meat as part of an industry that breeds and slaughters up to 1 million dogs a year for human consumption. They were saved as part of a 200-dog rescue when HSI/Korea worked with the farmer, who wanted to leave dog farming behind him and convert his land into a self-sufficient crop field growing cabbages and other vegetables.

With five legislative bills to ban the dog meat industry, and now the commitment of a government-backed bill, HSI/Korea says these 27 dogs are a reminder to policy makers that campaigners are counting the days for politicians to take action on a ban. The latest opinion surveys by Nielsen Korea in 2023 show that most South Koreans (87.5%) don’t eat dog meat and 56% support a ban.

Sangkyung Lee, HSI/Korea’s End Dog Meat campaign manager, helped rescue the dogs and said: “The dog meat farm where these 28 pups came from was a hellish scene. Some 200 dogs were locked in barren, metal cages in squalid conditions thick with feces, many suffering from malnutrition as well as painful skin and eye diseases. Thankfully, most of these 27 were too young to remember the trauma of those days, and it makes me so happy to know that they will soon be embraced with new names and cherished as loved family members in the United States. It’s one month since the South Korean government pledged to ban the dog meat industry, with each one of these dogs symbolising a day that we have waited for political action. We need to get this ban done so that no more dogs have to suffer for a meat that virtually no-one wants to eat.”

Since 2015, HSI/Korea’s Models for Change program has helped dog farmers in South Korea transition to new, more humane and profitable livelihoods such as chili plant and parsley growing or water truck delivery. HSI/Korea has permanently closed 18 dog meat farms so far and rescued more than 2,700 dogs who have flown to the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom to find homes, with a small number rehomed in South Korea.

After arrival in the United States, the 27 dogs will be settled at the charity’s care and rehabilitation center near Washington, D.C., where they will receive the love and comfort the dog meat industry denied them, including soft beds, nutritious food, toys, veterinary care and rehabilitation. After this initial phase, they will be transferred to shelter and rescue partners where they will be prepared for adoption into loving homes.

HSI’s rescues are conducted in compliance with national and local COVID-19 health and safety protocols. Following removal from farms, dogs were evaluated by a veterinarian. They were vaccinated against rabies, distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, leptospira, and canine influenza, and screened for respiratory illness as needed to ensure the health of each animal and comply with international export and import requirements.

Download Images of the Dogs Leaving South Korea at Incheon Airport

Download Images of the Dog Farm Rescue

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Media contact: Haewon Lee, HSI/Korea media and communications specialist: hlee@hsi.org

Owner supports Humane Society International’s campaign to ban the cat meat trade in Viet Nam

Humane Society International

Chau Doan/AP Images for HSI

THAI NGUYEN , Viet Nam—Twenty cats and kittens who were due to be drowned at a slaughterhouse in Thai Nguyen, Viet Nam, have been given a second chance at life after the owner asked animal charity Humane Society International’s local team for help to close his business for good. Thirty-seven-year-old Mr. Pham Quoc Doanh had run his cat meat restaurant and slaughterhouse for five years, drowning up to 300 cats a month to serve to customers as a dish called ‘thịt mèo’ (cat meat) and ‘tiểu hổ’ or ‘little tiger’. Regret at killing the animals, and particularly the knowledge that many were stolen pets, led him to resolve to get out of the trade for good.

The closure of Mr. Doanh’s business and the rescue of the cats is part of HSI’s Viet Nam Models for Change program, launched in the country last year after successfully operating in South Korea since 2015. The program has so far closed down two dog slaughterhouse/restaurants and one cat slaughterhouse/restaurant in Thai Nguyen.

Mr. Doanh said: “For a while now I have felt a genuine desire to leave the cruel cat meat business and switch to something else as soon as possible. When I think of all the thousands of cats I’ve slaughtered and served up here over the years, it’s upsetting. Cat theft is so common in Viet Nam that I know many of the cats sold here were someone’s loved family companion, and I feel very sorry about that. It makes me happy to know that thanks to HSI, my wife and I can now put the cat meat trade behind us and start afresh, still serving my local community but no longer as part of this brutal and crime-fuelled trade. I want to see a ban on the dog and cat meat trade in Viet Nam.”

With a one-time grant provided by HSI, Mr. Doanh is setting up a grocery store. As part of the agreement, he signed over to HSI the remaining 20 cats and kittens at his slaughterhouse so that they could be rescued and placed for local adoption. HSI rescuers removed the traumatized cats from the property on the final day of business and watched as Mr. Doanh tore down the restaurant’s “cat meat” signage, symbolising his exit from the cat meat trade.

Quang Nguyen, Humane Society International’s Viet Nam companion animals and engagement program manager, said: “We are thrilled to be closing down our first cat meat trade business in Viet Nam, and hope it will be the first of many as more people like Mr. Doanh turn away from this cruel trade. Although most Vietnamese people don’t eat cat meat, the belief still persists that consumption can cure bad luck, and the scale of the suffering is astonishing. These 20 lucky cats and kittens have escaped a terrible fate and will be found loving homes, but our work continues to see a nationwide ban on the cat meat trade that brings such pain and distress to so many.”

An estimated one million cats a year are killed for meat in Viet Nam, all stolen pets and strays snatched from the streets. Traders use food baits to lure the cats into homemade spring-loaded snares. Polls show that an astonishing 87% of people have either had a pet stolen or have an acquaintance whose pet has been stolen. Pet theft is becoming a growing societal issue in Viet Nam, with the increasing animal-loving and pet owning population frustrated with the lack of law enforcement to protect their animals from unscrupulous thieves and traders. In addition to pet theft, truckloads of both live and slaughtered cats have also been reported coming across the China border. Cats (and dogs) are frequently trafficked incredible distances across Viet Nam, even in the baggage hold of passenger buses, often travelling for more than 24hours without rest, food or water in suffocating conditions, with many dying along the way.

A recent Nielsen opinion poll (Oct. 2023) commissioned by HSI shows that cat meat is consumed by a relative minority of the Vietnamese population (21%) with the majority (71%) in favour of a ban on both cat meat consumption and trade. By far the top reasons for not consuming dog and cat meat are a belief that they are companion animals and an aversion to animal cruelty.

All 20 cats rescued from Mr. Doanh’s slaughterhouse were taken to custom-made sheltering at Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry where they were vaccinated against rabies and will receive medical care before being made available for local adoption.

Cat meat trade facts:

  • Cat meat dishes are particularly common around the capital, Hanoi, and in the northern province of Thai Binh.
  • In 2018, nine cooler boxes containing almost 1 ton of frozen cats was intercepted between Dong Nai province in the south and Thai Binh province in the north.
  • In 1998, the Prime Minister issued a directive banning the hunting, slaughtering and consumption of cats in efforts to encourage cat ownership to keep the rat population under control. However, little to no action was taken to combat the trade, and the directive was eventually repealed in 2020.

Download video and photos of the dog slaughterhouse closure operation.

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Media contacts:

Nielsen’s online survey of Vietnamese citizens was conducted in September 2023 with recipients aged between 25–60 years old, with a total sample size of 800.

Courteney Cox, Ricky Gervais, Andie McDowell join with Indonesia’s Bubah Alfian, Cinta Laura Kiehl, D.J Bryant, Davina Veronica, Luna Maya, Prilly Latuconsia and more to support ending the brutal trades

Humane Society International / Indonesia

HSI

JAKARTA, Indonesia—More than 30 stars from the world of acting, fashion and music―including  Billie Eilish, Charlize Theron, Clint Eastwood, Kim Basinger, Courteney Cox, Ricky Gervais, Andie McDowell, Jeff Bridges and Zooey Deschanel―have called on President Joko Widodo in a joint letter to end Indonesia’s brutal dog and cat meat trades following the rescue of desperate animals from one of the country’s most notorious markets, Tomohon Extreme Market.

More than 130,000 dogs and countless cats annually are slaughtered in public markets across the Indonesia’s island of Sulawesi. In July this year, Mayor Caroll Senduk of the city of Tomohon in North Sulawesi province worked with animal charities Humane Society International and Animal Friends Manado Indonesia to permanently shut down the sale and slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption at the infamous market, ending years of suffering. The charities rescued the remaining animals found alive at the market’ slaughterhouse.

In the letter to the president, the stars including Dame Judi Dench, Alicia Silverstone, Alfie Boe OBE, Leona Lewis, Daisy Fuentes, Eddie Vedder, Goran Visnjic, Kristin Bauer and others praised “those leaders throughout Indonesia who have taken action to eradicate the dog and cat meat trades in their jurisdictions, saving tens of thousands of dogs and cats every month from the cruel and dangerous trades. There are now 28 cities and regencies that have passed Directives and regulations prohibiting the trades, as well as the Special Capital Region of Jakarta, and the groundbreaking and progressive action taken by the City of Tomohon in July ending the sale and slaughter of dogs and cats, and their meat, at the nation’s most infamous market – Tomohon Extreme Market.”

They ended their letter by urging the PM to ensure “a nationwide ban is introduced so that we can soon celebrate a truly dog and cat meat-free Indonesia.”

The letter, which was also signed by some of Indonesia’s biggest mega-stars including Bubah Alfian, Cinta Laura Kiehl, D.J Bryant, Davina Veronica, Luna Maya and Prilly Latuconsia, acknowledged the fact that most people in Indonesia want to see a ban. The stars wrote: “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; and applaud  those leaders who have taken steps in prioritizing their citizens’ health and safety.”

The stars felt inspired to pen the letter after hearing about the dog and cat meat trade ban achieved at Tomohon Market by HSI and AFMI and their rescue of the last 25 dogs and three cats found alive at the slaughterhouses supplying the market. All six dog and cat traders who supplied and worked at the market signed an historic agreement to permanently end involvement in the dog and cat meat trades, which in turn disrupted the vast supply network of animal thieves and traffickers involved in their punishingly long-distance transport.

Animal cruelty at Tomohon market has been documented during exposés spanning many years, showing live dogs and cats cowering and shaking as traders yanked them one by one from their cage to bludgeon them repeatedly over the head and blow-torched them to remove their fur, sometimes while still conscious. Most recently, upsetting footage was filmed by HSI at Tomohon market in March and July this year, including rows of blowtorched dog and cat carcasses on display at market stalls.

Lola Webber, HSI’s director of campaigns to end the dog meat trade, said: “We are so grateful to these outspoken Indonesian and global stars who are using their voices to speak up for the millions of dogs and cats who endure the most horrific abuse for the meat trade. We echo their praise for those Indonesian leaders working with us to end this cruelty at and we join with them in urging President Widodo to introduce a nationwide ban.”

Frank Delano from AFMI said: “The dog and cat meat trades are not only obscenely cruel, but they also jeopardise public health through the spread of the deadly rabies virus during dog slaughter, butchery and consumption. So to see these celebrities stand with the majority of Indonesian citizens in calling for an end to this miserable trade is really encouraging.”

Karin Franken from Jakarta Animal Aid Network, a DMFI coalition founding member, said: “Indonesia is a popular tourist destination for travellers from the United States, Australia, the United Kingdom and Europe, so the celebrities who signed this letter are representing both the international and national community who want to see a dog and cat meat-free Indonesia. These poor animals have endured enough. We hope that President Widodo and provincial leaders take action to rid Indonesia of the scourge of this cruel and dangerous trade that tarnishes our reputation across the globe.”

Read the letter

Download video/photos of HSI rescuing of the last dogs and cats from Tomohon market

Download video/photos of the dog meat trade at Tomohon Extreme Market 

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Humane Society International/Korea urges swift legislation to ‘close this miserable chapter in Korea’s history and embrace a dog friendly future’

Humane Society International / South Korea

HSI

SEOUL—In an historic announcement, the South Korean government has stated that before the end of this year it will introduce a bill to ban the dog meat industry, which sees up to 1 million dogs a year farmed and killed for human consumption. At a meeting in Seoul today between the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, representatives of the ruling Peoples Power Party and Korean animal groups including Humane Society International/Korea, a government bill was confirmed with a three-year phase out period once legislation is passed, meaning the ban would come into effect in 2027.

Compensation will be offered to help legally registered dog meat farmers, traders, slaughterers and restaurant owners transition or close their businesses, similar to the Models for Change program run by HSI/Korea, which has worked with 18 dog farmers across the country since 2015 to switch to growing chili plants or parsley delivering water and other livelihoods.

This news follows considerable public and political momentum for a ban, including the introduction of five legislative bills by National Assembly Members. The news is welcomed by HSI/Korea, one of the leading animal groups campaigning for an end to dog meat nationwide.

JungAh Chae, executive director of Humane Society International/Korea, who attended the meeting with MAFRA, says: “News that the South Korean government is at last poised to ban the dog meat industry is like a dream come true for all of us who have campaigned so hard to end this cruelty. Korean society has reached a tipping point where most people now reject eating dogs and want to see this suffering consigned to the history books. With so many dogs needlessly suffering for a meat that hardly anyone eats, the government’s bill delivers a bold plan that must now urgently be passed by the Assembly so that a legislative ban can be agreed as soon as possible to help South Korea close this miserable chapter in our history and embrace a dog friendly future.”

With growing concern for animal welfare, and over 6 million pet dogs now living in Korean homes, demand for dog meat has dwindled. Latest opinion polls by Nielsen Korea commissioned by HSI/Korea show that 86% of South Koreans won’t eat dog meat in the future and 57% support a ban.

HSI recognizes that a short phase out period is an inevitable consequence of dismantling the trade and helping farmers and traders transition to other livelihoods. However, HSI urges the government to use the phase out period to work with animal welfare groups like HSI/Korea to rescue as many dogs as possible in a state-sponsored, co-ordinated effort.

HSI/Korea’s Models for Change program has rescued more than 2,700 dogs from dog farms across South Korea who have found adoptive homes in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, with a small number rehomed in South Korea. Most of the farmers with whom HSI/Korea has worked experience mounting societal, family and financial pressure to get out of farming dogs.

Kitty Block and Jeff Flocken, respectively CEO and president of HSI globally, issue a joint statement, saying: “This is a momentous day for HSI’s campaign to end the horrors of the dog meat industry in South Korea, and one we have been hoping to see for a very long time. Having been to dog meat farms and seen HSI/Korea’s Models for Change program in action, we know only too well the suffering and deprivation these desperate animals endure in the name of an industry for whom history has now thankfully called time. This is the beginning of the end of dog meat farming in South Korea, and HSI stands ready to contribute our expertise until every cage is empty.”

Dog meat facts:

  • Although most people in South Korea don’t eat dog, the belief that dog meat soup (bosintang) will cool the body and build stamina during the hot summer, particularly during Bok Nal season spanning July and August, still holds with some, especially the older generation.
  • Most dogs slaughtered for meat in South Korea are killed by electrocution although some are also hanged.
  • Dog meat is banned (with varying degrees of enforcement) in 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 32 cities and regencies as well as the province of DKI Jakarta in Indonesia.
  • Despite these growing bans, an estimated 30 million dogs a year are still killed for meat across Asia.

Download here video and photos of HSI/Korea’s dog meat farm closure program in action

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Owner Mr Hung works with Humane Society International as part of charity’s Models for Change program to exit the trade and start new business

Humane Society International

Chau Doan | AP Images for HSI

Forty-four dogs, including 19 puppies just days old, have been rescued from a dog meat fattening facility and slaughterhouse in Thai Nguyen, Viet Nam, after the owner had a change of heart and shut his shop for good. Mr Hung had bought, sold and slaughtered up to 20,000 dogs for the meat trade over the past seven years, but said that killing the animals weighed heavily on his conscience and he was relieved when animal charity Humane Society International offered him a way out as part of its Models for Change program. Mr Hung plans to open an agricultural store for local community crop farming. 

HSI’s rescue team assembled from Viet Nam, Indonesia and India to remove the 44 dogs from Mr Hung’s facility and transport them to custom-made sheltering at Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry where they were vaccinated against rabies and will receive medical care and rehabilitation before being made available for local adoption. 

Most of the estimated five million dogs killed for meat annually in Viet Nam are stolen pets or strays snatched from the streets using poison bait, painful taser guns, pincers or ropes, or imported from surrounding countries such as Cambodia. However, the majority of Mr Hung’s dogs were sold to him by rural families who breed extra puppies at home to supplement their main income.  

Traders typically go village to village by motorbike or truck to collect puppies from rural communities. The young dogs are tightly packed into small cages and driven for hours to facilities such as Mr Hung’s for fattening up, many enduring dehydration, suffocation, heatstroke and even death on the journey.   

Prior to the closure with HSI, traders delivered around 50 puppies every one or two months to Mr Hung’s facility, where they were kept in filthy raised cages without veterinary care and fattened up for several weeks or months to reach a suitable slaughter weight to be sold as thịt chó (dog meat).   

HSI’s research in other parts of Viet Nam uncovered the cruel practice of force-feeding dogs at some fattening facilities by forcing a tube down their throats and pouring rice directly into their stomachs. While Mr Hung claims never to have conducted force feeding, he is aware of the practice. As well as selling the dogs to local slaughterhouses and restaurants, Mr Hung also killed one or two dogs every day with a knife to the jugular or heart, in full view of other dogs. It was a cycle of suffering and brutality that Mr Hung said finally broke his heart.  

Mr Hung told HSI’s Viet Nam team: “I looked into their pleading eyes and saw their tails nervously wagging as I approached, and each time it got harder to do. They came to me as happy little puppies so full of life, but soon became traumatized and afraid. It just broke my heart in the end. Dogs are so loyal and friendly, selling or killing them felt like a betrayal that weighed heavily on my conscience. When I heard that HSI’s Models for Change program had helped another trader in Thai Nguyen close his dog meat slaughterhouse and restaurant last year, I was relieved to know there was a way for me to start my life over without having to kill animals for a living. I’m excited for my new business and to know that all my dogs will have the happy life they deserve with families who will look after them.”

As well as tackling the extreme animal cruelty inherent in the trade of dogs for human consumption, HSI’s program also helps crack down on the spread of the deadly rabies virus across 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 verified cases linked to dog slaughter and consumption. A high incidence of rabies-positive dogs has been documented in slaughterhouses in the capital city, Hanoi. Whether trafficked from neighboring countries, caught and driven hundreds of miles across Viet Nam or sold for slaughter by local households, the dog meat trade involves the mass movement and slaughter of dogs of unknown disease or vaccination status and as such jeopardizes efforts by officials to control the spread of the rabies.  

Phuong Tham, Humane Society International’s Viet Nam country director, said: “The dog meat trade is a cruel and dangerous business in Viet Nam, jeopardizing the health of the nation for profit, in breach of existing laws. Mr Hung is the second trader in Viet Nam to participate in our Models for Change program, which we hope will encourage the authorities to commit to a strategy to provide industry workers with alternative and economically viable livelihoods, while also supporting government efforts to eliminate rabies. While dog meat remains prevalent in some parts of the country, there is also increasing opposition to the practice among the rising pet loving population in Viet Nam who are frustrated by the lack of action taken against unscrupulous dog thieves and traders who steal people’s beloved companions. As the role dogs play in society changes, so too must legislation to protect them from cruelty and exploitation.” 

HSI’s Models for Change program began in Viet Nam last year after successfully operating in South Korea since 2015 where the charity has closed down 18 dog meat farms and helped build public and political support for a nationwide ban. HSI brought its Models for Change program to Viet Nam last year with the closure of a dog slaughterhouse and restaurant owned by a neighbor of Mr Hung. The closure inspired Mr Hung to contact the Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry for help rehoming his dogs, which in turn asked HSI to provide expertise and resources to support the rescue and train local veterinarians for the long-term success of the rescue center.   

Dog meat facts: 

  • Viet Nam is home to the most prolific dog and cat meat trades in Southeast Asia, slaughtering an estimated five million dogs and one million cats each year. A belief by some consumers persists—despite no scientific evidence—that dog meat has medicinal properties and can increase male virility.   
  • HSI research suggests that dog meat is eaten by around 40% of the population but 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. 
  • 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. 
  • The link between rabies transmission and Viet Nam’s dog meat trade has been clearly identified by the WHOi. Data from Viet Nam’s National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology shows that a significant proportion of patients become infected with the virus after killing, butchering or eating dogs, as well as from bites. 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.  
  • Studies of brain samples of dogs collected from slaughterhouses in northern and southern provinces have also tested positive for the rabies virus.  
  • In July 2023, the People’s Committee of Dong Nai Province and HSI in Viet Nam signed a first-of-its-kind three-year agreement to work together to tackle the dog and cat meat trades by implementing a rabies vaccination program, discouraging dog and cat meat consumption through public awareness campaigns, supporting law enforcement’s anti-dog and cat trafficking activities, promoting companion animal welfare and helping dog and cat meat industry workers transition to alternative livelihoods.  

Download photos/video of the dog slaughterhouse closure operation

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Humane Society International / Viet Nam

Call to ban the trafficking of dogs and cats throughout Viet Nam to supply markets, slaughterhouses and restaurants

With four legislative bills and bipartisan support for a ban, poll shows significant support among traditional older consumers

Humane Society International / South Korea

Rescued from a dog meat farm
Jean Chung

SEOUL―The vast majority of South Koreans (86%) have little to no intention of consuming dog meat in the future, regardless of their past consumption, according to a new survey by Nielsen Korea commissioned by animal group Humane Society International/Korea. A majority (57%) support a ban on the dog meat industry, and around 65% of those polled expect to see an end to dog meat consumption in less than two years. Animal cruelty is the top reason for those supporting a ban (53%) with almost 50% (49.7%) citing unsanitary conditions of dog meat production as the main motivator.

The results of the “2023 Dog Meat Consumption and Attitude Survey” are released amid a surge in political discussions on banning the dog meat industry in South Korea. Four legislative bills for a ban have been proposed, and 44 members of the National Assembly― including Han Jeong-ae of the Democratic Party of Korea and Lee Heon-seung of the People Power Party―have supported a parliamentary resolution to end the dog meat industry.  Recently, First Lady Kim Geon-hee once again emphasised her commitment to a ban, joining Korean animal welfare groups including HSI/Korea at a press conference last month.

The most significant attitude shift seen in the Nielsen/HSI survey is observed among people in their 40s and 50s, traditionally considered the primary consumers of dog meat. According to the survey, negative perceptions of dog meat and a heightened empathy for the well-being of all dogs have increased in this age group since last year. For example, 73% of people in their 50s now express the view that all dogs―whether pets or on dog meat farms― should be protected, and 64% in this age category cite animal cruelty as their main reason for supporting a ban on the dog meat industry.

Sangkyung Lee, dog meat campaign manager for HSI/Korea, said: “As politicians from all parties are showing support for a ban on the dog meat industry, our survey clearly shows that they have the backing of the Korean people, the vast majority of whom don’t eat dog meat. The cruelty of the dog meat industry is the top reason cited for supporting a ban, with the unsanitary conditions the second highest motivating factor, both figures that we believe will continue to rise as people become increasingly aware of the animal suffering and lack of hygiene inherent in the dog meat industry. HSI/Korea’s Models for Change program has successfully worked with 18 dog meat farmers so far to permanently close their farms and help them transition to alternative, humane livelihoods. Our work demonstrates that cooperation with dog meat farmers is possible and that an end to this industry can be a win:win for both people and dogs. Legislative efforts by lawmakers and the government are now urgently needed for the passage of a dog meat ban into law.”

Overview of main findings:

  • 86% say they will not or probably will not consume dog meat in the future.
  • 54% say they have never eaten dog meat (and will not do so in the future).
  • 57% support a ban on the dog meat industry.
  • 53% overall (and 64% of those in their 50s) cite animal cruelty as their top reason for a dog meat industry ban.
  • 7% cite unsanitary conditions as their top reason for a dog meat industry ban.
  • 68% overall (and 73% of those in their 50s) believe all dogs, whether so-called “meat dogs” or pets, deserve equal care and protection.

Photos and video of HSI/Korea rescuing dogs from a dog meat farm in March 2023

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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%.

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

Humane Society International / Southeast Asia

HSI.

HANOI, Viet Nam―The People’s Committee of Dong Nai Province and Humane Society International in Viet Nam have signed a unique three-year agreement to work together to tackle the dog and cat meat trades and promote companion animal welfare throughout the  province. This first-of-its-kind agreement will see the Dong Nai authority and HSI collaborate with local stakeholders to implement a vaccination program against the deadly rabies virus, using HSI’s unique mobile phone app to track vaccination rates.

Public awareness campaigns will also be rolled out to discourage dog and cat meat consumption, in addition to law enforcement activities to tackle the illegal trafficking of dogs and cats for slaughter, and assistance for dog and cat meat industry workers to transition to alternative livelihoods. Helping these workers switch to new livelihoods is a key component of HSI’s unique Models for Change program, which was launched in Viet Nam in Thai Nguyen province in November 2022 with the closure of a dog meat slaughterhouse and restaurant which now operates as a general store.

Tham Phuong, Viet Nam director for Humane Society International, said: “Safeguarding the welfare of our dog and cat companions not only brings animal welfare benefits, but also protects our communities from preventable diseases. We are delighted to be working in cooperation with Dong Nai province with the strong support of the provincial leaders of The People’s Committee, the leaders of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, and the Sub-Department of Livestock Production and Animal Health to implement this exciting program. Together we will improve rabies vaccination coverage and implement humane dog population management, as well as end the trade in and slaughter of dogs and cats. We know that as well as being immensely cruel, the dog and cat meat trades also pose a very real and grave risk to public health by facilitating transmission of the deadly rabies virus. Our joint program will bring the province practical ways to tackle those threats for the benefit of people and animals.”

Nguyen Truong Giang, director of Dong Nai Sub-Department of Animal Livestock Production and Animal Health, said: “The province has been trying to build an animal disease-free zone as recommended by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development for its two cities and all towns for the period 2021-2030. Therefore, through the main activities of this project including the control of interprovincial dog transport and applying HSI’s cell phone app information technology to manage rabies vaccinations and accurately record the population of domestic dogs, we expect that these localities will soon become rabies-free zones and contribute to our goals.”

The link between rabies transmission and the dog meat trade in Viet Nam has been clearly identified by the World Health Organization[i]; the elimination of rabies is being hindered by the continuation of dog meat trade activities. Data from the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology shows that a significant proportion of patients infected with the virus after contact with dogs were not bitten by the dogs but had either slaughtered or eaten them.  Studies of brain samples of dogs collected from slaughterhouses in northern and southern provinces of Viet Nam have also detected the presence of the rabies virus. Such is the link between rabies and the dog meat trade that in 2018 and 2019, the authorities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City respectively advised people not to consume dog meat to reduce their risk of contracting and spreading the disease.

Dog meat facts:

  • Slaughtering an estimated 5 million dogs and 1 million cats per year, Viet Nam is home to the most prolific dog and cat meat trades in Southeast Asia.
  • While the sale and consumption of dogs and cats is not illegal in Viet Nam, the unregulated trans-provincial movement of dogs and cats 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 trades, enforcement of laws is rare and trucks continue to openly transport hundreds of dogs and cats on national highways.
  • A belief by some consumers persists—despite no scientific evidence—that dog and cat meat holds 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, while cats are mostly killed by drowning.
  • A 2016-2017 study of dog brain samples from small slaughterhouses in Hanoi 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 nearly 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 closure of a dog slaughterhouse in Thai Nguyen province as part of HSI’s Models for Change program HERE.

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[i] Hampson, K., 2009. Mission Report: Vietnam. WHO

Humane Society International and Animal Friends Manado Indonesia save 25 dogs and 3 cats as Tomohon’s network of slaughterhouses finally close

Humane Society International / Indonesia

WARNING: This content includes graphic descriptions of animals being killed

HSI

JAKARTA, Indonesia―Indonesia’s notorious Tomohon “Extreme” Market in North Sulawesi province has officially banned the dog and cat meat trade in an historic agreement that will spare thousands of animals from being bludgeoned and blowtorched to death for human consumption. Twenty five dogs and three cats found alive at the slaughterhouses that supplied the market were rescued by Humane Society International as part of the deal, and have been taken to a nearby partner sanctuary to receive emergency veterinary treatment and care until they are ready to find their forever homes.

The last six remaining dog and cat traders signed an historic agreement to permanently close and end all trafficking, slaughter and sale of dogs and cats. The agreement will also disrupt the vast supply network of dog and cat thieves and traffickers involved in the punishingly long-distance transport of these animals that spans the entire island of Sulawesi.

The mayor of Tomohon, Caroll Senduk, also signed into law a ban on all future dog and cat meat trading at the market in recognition of the grave risk of rabies transmission, bringing an end to one of the most shocking and barbaric practices at this notorious market.

The dog meat trade is rampant on the island of Sulawesi, with investigations suggesting more than 130,000 dogs are slaughtered at its markets every year. Tomohon Extreme Market―which sells live and slaughtered dogs and cats alongside butchered pythons, bats and rats―is the most notorious of them all, even listed at one point on tourist websites as a gruesome must-see destination until the listing was removed following protest led by the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition. Upsetting footage taken by HSI at the market in March this year, shows dogs cowering and panting in transport cages, then being yanked out by the neck to be bludgeoned to death. Rows of blowtorched dog and cat carcasses are shown on display at market stalls. As a founding member of the Dog Meat Free Indonesia coalition, HSI has been exposing North Sulawesi’s cruel trade for the past six years, including the first ever in-depth exposé in 2017 showing dogs being beaten over the head and blow-torched while still alive.

Lola Webber, HSI’s director of campaigns to end the dog meat trade, said: “With Tomohon Extreme Market going dog and cat meat-free, in addition to the permanent closure of the slaughterhouses that killed hundreds of these animals every week, the impact will be far-reaching, shutting down business for the traders’ vast network of traffickers, dog thieves and slaughterers. North Sulawesi is an epicenter of Indonesia’s cruel and dangerous dog and cat meat trade; the cruelty is obscene and the public health risks from open slaughter and contaminated meat are unparalleled. It is a huge victory for animal welfare and public safety that never again will dogs and cats be bludgeoned and blowtorched at Tomohon market, and we hope this unprecedented agreement will set the standard for other markets and leaders to follow.”

In addition to directly decreasing the supply of dog and cat meat in this hotspot city, HSI hopes this ban will increase pressure on the government to take more seriously the enormous public health risk posed by Indonesia’s dog and cat meat trades nationally. Trans-provincial trafficking of dogs into densely populated cities facilitates the spread of the deadly rabies virus. Studies reveal growing evidence that dog slaughter, butchery and consumption help transmit rabies and expose people, and rabies-positive dogs have been found for sale at markets throughout North Sulawesi, including Tomohon Extreme Market. Rabies is rampant in many parts of Indonesia, endemic in all but eight of its 37 provinces, including all six of Sulawesi’s provinces. Perhaps unsurprisingly North Sulawesi Province has some of the highest rates of human deaths attributed to rabies in Indonesia every year.

Professor Louis Nel, executive director, Global Alliance for Rabies Control, said: “The catching, transport, and killing of dogs for consumption undermines rabies control and elimination plans as it significantly increases the risks of human exposures to infected dogs. The public health threat of rabies can be eliminated by mass dog vaccination programmes, strict dog movement controls and reducing human exposures to infected dogs, all of which are undermined by the illegal dog meat trade.”

Tomohon Extreme Market was officially declared dog and cat meat-free with a banner erected at the entrance of the market and a ceremony at the mayor’s office. Mayor Senduk said: “I am very proud that Tomohon Extreme Market is the first to introduce a ground-breaking agreement between traders and animal welfare campaigners on a dog and cat meat-free declaration. In addition to ending public displays of cruelty, this is an important step in protecting our communities against the threat of rabies and other diseases.”

Elvianus Pongoh, who has traded and slaughtered dogs and cats for meat at the market for over 25 years, agrees that the time has come to end the trade. He said: “I have probably slaughtered thousands of dogs for Tomohon Market over the years. I would try not to think about it too much but every now and then I would see the fear in their eyes or see their tail wag hopefully as I came for them, and it made me feel bad. I know that this ban is best for the animals and also best to protect the public and our families too. If Indonesia is on a path towards banning the trade completely, then we at Tomohon have played a small part in making history.”

The dogs and cats saved by HSI and partner group AFMI are now recovering at AFMI’s nearby sanctuary, the only companion animal sanctuary operating in the province. The severely traumatised and dehydrated dogs and cats received emergency veterinary care on arrival and will have a loving home alongside the sanctuary’s other animal guests until they find their forever homes.

Frank Delano from AFMI said: “We are thrilled to welcome our new companions to our sanctuary where they will never have to fear pain and abuse ever again. With love and patience their physical and mental wounds will heal from the trauma they must have experienced at the hands of the dog meat traders. The trucks packed with hundreds of terrified dogs and cats have driven past our sanctuary on their way to Tomohon Market virtually every day. It was the saddest scene to witness and we are so happy we will never see those trucks again.”

Download video and photos of the last remaining dogs and cats being rescued

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

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