VIETNAM Hanoi against the consumption of dog and cat meat to clean up the tourist image

City authorities are cracking down on a practice that remains widespread despite official bans for health reasons. It is estimated that four million animals end up on the country’s table every year. The alarm is also increased by the recent outbreaks of rabies with victims also among humans.

Hanoi (/Agencies) – Vietnam – along with China and South Korea – continue to be the countries where, despite official bans for health and hygiene reasons, the consumption of dog and cat meat remains widespread, especially in the middle and upper age groups, also for reasons related to traditional pharmacopoeia. About thirty and ten million animals, respectively, are killed in Asia each year for human consumption. If the highest figures are recorded in China -14 million-, also in Vietnam it is estimated that a total of four million dogs and cats are consumed each year. That is why the news of a new repressive measure in Hanoi is significant: the capital’s authorities have issued a strict directive to prevent consumption in the urban area. A measure that is part of a triple strategy: application of current laws and regulations, cooperation between the government agencies involved and on-site inspections.

To increase the pressure, the directive recalls the recent rabies outbreaks (about a hundred) recorded in thirty locations in the country, which also caused human casualties. Therefore, the initiative immediately emphasizes a broad anti-rabies vaccination campaign that covers at least 90% of domestic dogs and cats in urban areas.

Likewise, the measure encourages greater awareness among residents about the problems derived from coexistence with these two animal species, whose contact with humans enables the mutual transmission of various diseases.

Finally, the authorities emphasize the humanitarian aspect, but also practical and tourism promotion, of putting an end to the use of pets for food, in order to “transform Hanoi into a civilized city suitable for tourism, in accordance with international standards on animal welfare and food safety”. The aim is also to promote the tourist image of the capital, often little considered, placing it at the forefront of the movement against the commercial and food exploitation of animals that in other places are only used as pets.

In fact, several organizations and municipalities committed to the eradication of traditional practices that find no justification in the current context of the country have been pushing in this direction for some time. The first was, at the end of 2021, Hoi An, a city in central Vietnam, a historic place among the country’s main tourist destinations. The agreement signed with the Four Paws International organization has since made it possible to cleanse the city of a practice harmful to its image and its economy.

Photo: Flickr/fredsharples