Major Raid in Vietnam: More Than 400 Cats Freed from Smuggling Trade

For many of the animals, however, the rescue came too late: in cooling boxes, investigators discovered around 80 animals that were already dead. Around 100 of the confiscated cats died despite veterinary care from the effects of heat, stress, and other terrible conditions. "You could clearly see what severe physical and mental torture they had endured," said Phuong Tham, country director of Humane World for Animals. The animals had been transported in cages, in some cases smuggled from neighboring countries such as Cambodia in trucks, she added.

A Million-Dollar Business Under Pressure

The case brings the controversial cat meat trade into the spotlight, which—despite growing criticism and a shift in public attitudes—continues to affect millions of animals. According to estimates by the animal welfare organization Four Paws, around five million dogs and roughly one million cats are slaughtered for consumption in Vietnam alone each year. Observers say the trade remains a multimillion-dollar business.

A slow shift in thinking is also emerging within Vietnam. "This discovery is, on the one hand, a sobering reminder of the enormous scale of Vietnam's dog and cat meat trade, and on the other hand, a very clear sign that attitudes in the country toward this cruel and dangerous trade are changing," said Karanvir Kukreja, campaign manager at the organization Humane World for Animals. According to the government, more than 80 percent of dog farms have already ceased operations.

A Divided Society in Transition

Society, however, remains divided. Mai Xuan Huu, a 34-year-old securities broker from the northern Vietnamese province of Thanh Hoa, told the German Press Agency that he used to eat dog meat because the selection of food had been limited. He has since changed his mind: "I will never eat these animals again and I will not allow my children to either," he said. The recent confiscation of the 400 cats was "an act of humanity" and needed to be made more widely known as a cautionary example, Huu added.

Construction worker Nguyen Thanh Trung (30), by contrast, holds a different view: he sees eating dog or cat meat as no different from eating pork, goat, lamb, or chicken. He does not condone animal theft, however: "That is against the law and should be punished." Often, strays are caught with poison bait or painful electric shock collars, while pets are stolen and in some cases even smuggled in trucks from neighboring countries such as Cambodia.

Gastronomy and Health Risks

The trade is also deeply rooted in the restaurant industry. The owner of a restaurant in the capital, Hanoi, that serves dog and cat meat told the German Press Agency: "With cats, we have to select very carefully. If a cat is older than one year, the meat gets tough and no longer tastes good." Cat dishes cost at least 195,000 Vietnamese dong (6.50 euros) at his establishment. "On average, I sell five to seven cats per day, but at peak times it can be 20 or 30," he said. "My shop is always very busy."

In terms of health, consumption is not without danger: handling raw dog and cat meat can spread rabies via animal welfare organizations and authorities. The World Organization for Animal Health classifies the trade in dog and cat meat as a risk for the transmission of pathogens. Pressure is also mounting in neighboring countries: South Korea passed a law at the beginning of 2024 to phase out the dog meat trade, and Indonesia and other Southeast Asian states are discussing similar measures.

Outlook and Prosecution

The rescue of the more than 400 cats in Ho Chi Minh City is seen by observers as a signal of a possible turning point. "So that everyone realizes how important the protection of dogs and cats is," was how an HWA spokesperson put it. After all, society is increasingly divided: between those who continue to carry on the cruel trade and a new generation for whom dogs and cats are beloved family members—and no longer belong on the plate.

Prosecution against the suspected animal thieves is ongoing. As the responsible authorities announced, several suspects are being investigated for animal theft and illegal transport. Should the suspicion be confirmed, they face prison sentences of several years under Vietnamese law.