Hanoi bans dog & cat meat trade; Philippines & India bust dog meat dealers – Animals 24-7

Stopping rabies & attracting tourists motivate government in Vietnamese capital

HANOI, Vietnam––102 human rabies deaths in 29 administrative jurisdictions during 2023 have reportedly moved the city government in Hanoi,  the national capital of Vietnam,  to ban the dog and cat meat trade––coincidentally,  almost on the eve of the annual dog-eating festival held toward the end of each June since 2009 in Yulin,  China,  about 500 miles northeast.

Though only about a tenth as many dogs are believed to be eaten each year in Yulin recently as were reportedly eaten during the early years of the Yulin festival,  it still has a high international profile.

Vietnamese are wary of Chinese influence

Long-festering cultural and political tension between Vietnam and China may help Hanoi to make a dog-and-cat-eating ban stick,  especially since both dog-eating and cat-eating were reputedly popularized in Vietnam by Chinese military personnel during the Vietnam War.

Historical hostility between Vietnam and China eased in the Vietnam War years,  but a border war between the two nations followed in 1978-1979.

While trade and diplomatic relations have resumed,  Vietnamese tend to remain wary of Chinese influence.

Eating cats is already illegal

Eating cats has officially been illegal in Vietnam at least since 1998,  when an older law was re-invoked,  but has persisted as a vice in absence of aggressive discouragement.

Dog-eating, legal until now,  has continued more openly.

“To safeguard public health and promote more ethical practices,”  reported the Hanoi office of the Malaysia-based Straits Times on June 8,  2024,  “the Hanoi sub-department of animal husbandry, fisheries and veterinary services” has mandated “strict monitoring and tough penalties for any illegal trade,  transportation,  slaughter or sale of dogs and cats for meat purposes.

Mobile inspection teams

“Mobile inspection teams will be deployed at key transportation routes,” the Straits Times said,  “to systematically intercept and halt any unauthorized movement of live dogs and cats.

To be expected now,  the Straits Times said,  are “strict enforcement and cooperation across multiple government agencies and mobile inspection teams.

“Citing the grave risk posed by the recent rabies outbreak across Vietnam,  the directive [forbidding dog and cat meat consumption] emphasizes the urgent need to prevent a public
health crisis,”  the Straits Times summarized.

Imports of dogs for meat illegal since 2014

Medically recognized as a rabies vector in Vietnam since 2009,  imports of dogs for human consumption were prohibited in 2014 through the lobbying efforts of the Thailand-based Soi Dog Foundation.

Human deaths from rabies in Vietnam thereafter leveled off at an average of 82 per year until 2023.

The northern region closest to China,  where dog-eating is most common,  had 25 human rabies deaths through September 2023,  with 15 human deaths in the heavily populated south, 15 human deaths in the central highlands,  where access to medical treatment is sparse,  and nine deaths in the central lowlands.

(See Dog meat trade spreads rabies in Vietnam.)

“More compassionate attitudes toward animals”

“A core focus of the directive,”  the Straits Times added,  “is to enhance rabies vaccination rates to over 90% among the pet dog and cat population through a concerted drive by the veterinary authorities.”

This is to be done through “extensive public awareness campaigns using mass media to educate residents about the dangers of rabies, the need for responsible pet management practices, and to discourage the deeply entrenched habit of dog and cat meat consumption.”

Further,  the Straits Times mentioned,  “Hanoi also aspires to cultivate more compassionate attitudes toward animals.

“By designating ‘rabies-safe zones’ where the dog and cat meat trade is completely eliminated, this pioneering directive aims to transform Hanoi into a tourist-friendly city aligned with international standards for animal welfare and food safety.”

Soi Dog Foundation

Affirming the Straits Times report,  Soi Dog Foundation International director of international programs Rahul Sehgal said Soi Dog would be “a technical support organization facilitating this pioneering campaign,”  and “commends Hanoi’s progressive directive against the dog and cat meat trade.

“This initiative demonstrates a commitment to aligning Vietnam’s capital with contemporary global standards,”  Sehgal said.  “We will continue providing various assistance to facilitate this move going forward,”  Sehgal pledged.

(See Soi Dog/Happy Doggo s/n campaign aims to fix every street dog in Asia and Rabies deaths drive effort in Vietnam to stop eating dogs & cats.)

Undercover sting in the Philippines

“Despite monumental progress in several countries in tackling the illegal dog and cat meat trade,”  Sehgal added,  “there are still relentless perpetrators committing atrocious crimes.

“In late May 2024,”  Sehgal mentioned,  “our partner organization in the Philippines,  Animal Kingdom Foundation,  received an invaluable tip-off from a former dog meat trader in the province of Nueva Ecija.

“Two previous contacts had resumed illegal activities that involved slaughtering dogs and selling their meat to locals.  Undercover police negotiated a fake deal with the traders and four plastic bags were brought to them.  Seconds later,  the traders were in handcuffs and the Animal Kingdom Foundation team rushed to open the bags containing four innocent dogs.

“Two dogs were miraculously still alive,  despite the bag being tied so tightly there was no air to breathe,  but unfortunately two others had already been slaughtered.”

The two dog meat sellers were arrested,  Sehgal said.

Corruption & rabies persist

“Dog meat eating was banned in Manila,”  the Philippine capital city,  “in 1982,  and nationwide in 1998, with exemptions for dogs killed and eaten as part of indigenous rituals,” recounted ProMED disease surveillance veterinary moderator Tin Tin Myaing in March 2015.

“More recently, the national ban was bolstered by the Rabies Act,”  Myaing continued,  “which upgraded penalties for convicted dog meat traders to include jail time and substantially increased fines.”

However, Tin Tin Myaing added, “Currently, the Philippines National Police and local authorities do little to enforce anti-dog meat legislation. Many police and government officials in the northern provinces eat dog meat themselves.”

Not much appears to have changed since then,  except that the clandestine dog meat trade continues to be associated with sporadic rabies outbreaks.

(See Philippine mad dogs claim deadly revenge for being eaten.)

Assam & Nagaland,  India

Dog-eating has also long been illegal in India,  but continues in the far northeastern states of Assam and Nagaland,  which are geographically closer to southern China than to the main part of India.

“Our grantee Just Be Friendly), is bravely fighting this cruel practice on the frontlines,”  Help Animals India founder Eileen Weintraub recently reminded donors.  “Despite a nationwide ban,  the underground trade persists,  fueled by a lack of awareness and enforcement.”

Confirmed Just Be Friendly husband-and-wife veterinarians Sashanka Sekhar Dutta and Smirti Dutta,  who recently celebrated 21 years on the job together in Guwahati,  Assam,  “We have been working for many years to stop the illegal dog meat trade,”  but despite their efforts,  “There are several illegal dog meat traders operating in the region.

“On May 31,  2024,  in Dergaon,”  about 170 miles east of Guwahati,  the Duttas mentioned,  “24 dogs were rescued and taken to the Dergaon police station.”

The bust came 12 days after Just Be Friendly warned via social media that the dog meat trade appeared to be increasing,  and appealed for citizens to “Keep an eye on your pet dogs,  along with the free-roaming stray street dogs and community dogs.  Kindly reach out to the nearest police station,  or contact us,  if you encounter any such issues.”

Please donate to support our work:

Related

This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.