A popular Vietnamese tourist city has announced that it will begin eliminating the sale of meat from cats and dogs, a first in the nation that considers them delicacies. In a landmark agreement with the animal rights group Four Paws International, Hoi An, a world heritage site and a historic trading port, has pledged to end the sale and consumption of cat and dog meat.
‘We want to help promote animal welfare through rabies eradication, phasing out the dog and cat meat trade, and making the city a premier destination for tourism,’ vice city mayor Nguyen The Hung said. An estimated 5 million dogs are eaten in Vietnam every year – the second-highest consumption rate in the world, after China – with some believing the meat can ward off bad luck.
According to Julie Sanders of Four Paws International, it was a watershed moment that could be replicated elsewhere in Vietnam. Only 6.3% of 600 Vietnamese surveyed by an animal protection group consume these four-legged creatures. Eighty-eight percent of them favor banning their consumption.
To eat with rice wine or beer, dog meat is considered a delicacy in some parts of the country. Even though cats are less popular, they are served on some menus and are referred to as ‘little tigers’. Although the practice has waned as incomes rise and more affluent people keep dogs as pets, dog meat remains readily available in Hanoi, with some dismissing concerns regarding animal welfare.
‘I don’t think anyone should ban the eating of dog meat. It’s our culture,’ says one Hanoi resident Phan Van Cuong. In 2018, Hanoi authorities urged residents to stop eating dog meat because it was damaging the capital’s reputation and was associated with the risk of exposure to deadly rabies.
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