Throughout the evening of the last day of June, Duc Hung's family argued endlessly about whether to slaughter their 12kg dog for a feast, ultimately having to vote to decide "to eat or not to eat."
The result—12 out of 20 people chose "no dog meat"—made Mr. Hung (47 years old) from Tien Lang, Hai Phong, accept it with resentment. In his opinion, Tien Lang dog meat is a famous specialty, even people from other provinces come to enjoy it, so using it to treat his nephew who is about to return from abroad is the most reasonable thing to do. And especially, "there's no dog meat to eat abroad."
On the other hand, his relatives argue that eating dog meat should be stopped because it is high in protein, can easily cause gout and high cholesterol, and they believe that dogs are family companions, making the slaughtering of them extremely barbaric.
"Dog meat has always been a staple in traditional feasts, but now they've suddenly removed it. It doesn't look appealing anymore," Hung said sulkily.
A dog meat restaurant on Tam Trinh Street, Hoang Mai District, had staff members inviting customers in on the evening of June 27th. Photo: Quynh Nguyen.
For Quoc Dat (40 years old) in Me Linh ( Hanoi ), dog meat has been out of his mind for almost a decade now. Previously, every month he would invite friends to dog and cat meat restaurants to "ward off bad luck" and hope for good fortune in his work. Whenever there was a family anniversary or he returned to his hometown in Hung Yen at the end of the year, several families would pool their resources to slaughter a dog weighing over ten kilograms, explaining that "eating chicken and duck all the time gets boring."
Mr. Dat admitted that his decision to stop eating dog meat was mainly due to his friends no longer supporting him, while his wife and children, who love animals, objected. In his hometown, people now eat less dog meat because each family only keeps one or two dogs for guarding the house and no longer sells them. "At first, I still craved it and often bought some, but eating it alone got boring, so I eventually gave it up completely," Mr. Dat confided.
In Vietnam, the number of people who have stopped eating dog meat is increasing. The most noticeable manifestation is that slaughterhouses and dog meat streets are experiencing a slump in business, with fewer customers and many having to abandon the trade.
Around noon one day at the end of June, Mr. Nguyen Tien, 70 years old, residing in Duc Giang commune, Hoai Duc district (Hanoi), looked dejectedly at his dog meat stall, which remained almost untouched, with only a few customers occasionally stopping by. "In over 40 years of doing this job, I've never seen business this slow," Mr. Tien said.
He recounted that before 2010, his family sold an average of 1-2 tons of dog meat per month, mainly supplying restaurants along the Red River dike near Nhat Tan and Quang Ba (Tay Ho district). Now, however, demand has decreased by 80%, and regular customers are dwindling as many "dog meat streets" in the inner city have declined. Currently, Mr. Tien's family slaughters a maximum of 6-7 dogs per day, supplying them to markets in the district. He hoped that revenue would improve towards the end of the lunar month or before Tet (Lunar New Year), but at many times there are no customers, so he has to freeze the meat.
"Cao Ha village in Duc Giang commune used to be known as the 'capital' of dog and cat meat. Previously, there were more than a dozen slaughterhouses operating, with trucks constantly coming and going, but now only 2-3 households remain. The rest have switched professions due to poor business," Mr. Tien said.
A survey by VnExpress at the end of June showed that streets once famous for selling dog meat in Hanoi, such as Le Trong Tan (Ha Dong district), Tam Trinh (Hoang Mai district), Nhat Tan (Tay Ho district), Dang Tien Dong (Dong Da district), or the section of Road 32 passing through Duc Thuong commune (Hoai Duc district), now only have 2-3 active trading points.
Statistics from the Hanoi Department of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine show that in 2018 alone, after a campaign, approximately 30% of dog and cat meat businesses in Hanoi ceased operations, reducing the number from 1,100 establishments to 800.
"After four years of implementation, the number of dog and cat slaughterhouses and shops closing down in the city has increased sharply," said Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Son, Permanent Vice Chairman of the Vietnam Livestock Association.
Vietnamese people are increasingly aware of protecting dogs and cats, treating pets as members of the family. (Illustrative photo: Quynh Nguyen)
Explaining the increasing number of Vietnamese people turning away from dog meat, cultural expert Nguyen Anh Hong, a lecturer at the Academy of Journalism and Communication, points out four reasons. Firstly, the impact of mass media has raised public awareness about animal protection. Secondly, Vietnamese people are more discerning in choosing healthy food that doesn't pose a risk of disease. Thirdly, many people consider pets as family members instead of raising them for sale or slaughter. Finally, a significant number of people have stopped eating dog meat, creating a ripple effect.
The 2021 report on dog and cat meat consumption by the global animal welfare organization Four Paws further reinforces Ms. Hong's viewpoint. 91% of survey participants believe that recommendations should be made to ban or discourage the trade in dog and cat meat; 88% of Vietnamese people support banning this trade.
Along with the cessation of dog meat consumption, the Standing Vice President of the Vietnam Livestock Association also observed an increase in the number of forums advocating against dog and cat meat consumption, animal protection clubs, and rescue stations.
Nguyen Minh Quang, 42, head of a dog and cat rescue station in Thanh Oai district (Hanoi), which shelters 350 dogs and over 100 cats rescued from slaughterhouses or abandoned, said that the trafficking, abuse, and slaughter of these animals has been a major concern for many people.
"Thirteen years ago, when I went alone to rescue dogs and cats from slaughterhouses, many people said I was crazy. But now it's different; I'm not doing it alone because I have the community's help," Quang said. From receiving only one call a week for animal rescue from slaughterhouses, the rescue station now receives dozens of calls every day.
Each kennel at Mr. Le Minh Quang's rescue station in Thanh Oai district (Hanoi) is caring for 5-7 dogs rescued from slaughterhouses. Photo: Quynh Nguyen
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), dog meat directly causes outbreaks of canine tapeworm, cholera, and rabies in humans. This is because during transportation, millions of dogs of unknown disease and vaccination status are crammed into small cages on trucks, transported long distances to centralized holding areas or to unsanitary markets and slaughterhouses, easily leading to cross-contamination.
To limit the spread of diseases from dogs and cats, Mr. Nguyen Ngoc Son emphasized the importance of people's self-awareness. Accordingly, each individual should gradually abandon the habit of eating dog meat to protect their health. Districts and counties, in particular, need to strengthen the management of pet dogs, register the local dog population, minimize the number of stray dogs, and ensure proper vaccination according to the guidelines of specialized agencies.
"In Vietnam, there are no regulations yet on ending the slaughter and consumption of dogs and cats, but we can gradually study the monitoring and strict management of the slaughter and quarantine process, along with penalties for violations," Mr. Son said.
Vnexpress.net
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