“I don’t want to kill these animals anymore”: owner of dog meat restaurant in Vietnam closes his business after 20 years in food industry
The restaurant slaughtered thousands of dogs and chickens, but now its owner has joined a campaign to end the dog meat trade.
A rescuer from Humane Society International comforts one of the dogs saved from the restaurant. Credit: HSI
A long-running dog meat restaurant and slaughterhouse in Vietnam has closed down for good after its owner decided to exit the dog meat trade.
The restaurant, based in the country’s Dong Nai province, has been running for more than twenty years and has slaughtered thousands of dogs and chickens in that time.
Typically, the restaurant would receive deliveries of cages tightly packed with live animals, who are then slaughtered on site and served to customers.
Many of the live dogs in the food industry are supplied by local traders who collect dogs via motorbike from nearby residents who sell their pets or breed puppies for the meat trade.
As the restaurant’s current owner, Mr. Dao Van Cuong took over the business nine years ago.
But the guilt and stress from slaughtering the dogs has now pushed him to leave the dog meat trade for good and switch to a new animal-free business.
He seeked help from Models for Change, a program which supports people who want to transition out of the dog and cat meat trade.
Led by Humane Society International (HSI), the program was launched in Vietnam in 2022 in partnership with the province’s Department of Livestock, Animal Health and Fishery.
“For nine years I’ve killed dogs and chickens, butchered them and served them to my customers,” Mr. Cuong told HSI. “The money is okay but this work doesn’t make me happy at all. I don’t want to kill these animals anymore, it makes me feel bad.”
A second chance
Mr. Cuong has already begun what he describes as a “much more peaceful business”, which supplies gas cylinders and paint to local residents. “I’m looking forward to a business where I have a clear conscience and I am not involved in slaughtering dogs,” the former restauranter added.
After Mr. Cuong made the compassionate decision to close his business for good, a team from HSI visited his former facility to rescue the remaining live dogs.
Dogs at the restaurant about to be rescued. Credit: HSI
A total of 16 dogs were found and safely rescued, though many of them had matted fur, skin conditions, and infected eyes.
The rescued animals are now at a temporary facility where they are receiving veterinary care - including neutering and vaccination against rabies. HSI will then assess them for local adoption.
“These dogs were clearly terrified when we found them,” said Phuong Tham, HSI’s Vietnam director. “They’ve been through an ordeal and came close to death for the dog meat trade, but thankfully we got them out just in time. For these dogs, the dog meat trade is over and no more dogs will ever suffer and die at this facility again.”
Rabies and the dog meat trade
Dong Nai province, which is in the south of the country and borders Ho Chi Minh City, is home to around 500 restaurants that serve dog and cat meat.
City officials are actively encouraging increased public awareness about the risks of the dog meat trade, particularly its dangerous role in spreading rabies.
Health authorities including the World Health Organization have well-established the link between the spread of deadly rabies and the dog meat trade. In Vietnam, the dog meat trade is said to be undermining public and government initiatives to eliminate rabies, as it encourages a large and unregulated production and movement of puppies and dogs.
This threat of rabies has led local governments in the country to collaborate with HSI on the Models for Change program, which not only helps transition dog meat farms but also implements rabies vaccination programs as well as public awareness campaigns to discourage dog and cat meat consumption.
A rescuer from Humane Society International transports one of the dogs. Credit: HSI
Following the closure of Mr. Cuong’s restaurant and slaughterhouse, HSI met with city officials to discuss a new directive that would regulate and enforce stricter protections on the transport of live animals and in turn make it more difficult for the dog and cat meat trade to operate.
“When it comes to tackling rabies, we must address every way in which this disease is spread in Viet Nam” said Mr. Nguyen Truong Giang, director of Dong Nai Provincial Department of Livestock Production and Animals Health.
“It’s clear that the dog meat trade contributes to the spread of the virus, which is why we are pleased to be working with HSI’s Models for Change program to help dog and cat meat trade workers transition to better and safer livelihoods for themselves and their community,” added the government official.
Vietnam’s dog meat trade: is it legal?
In Vietnam, figures estimate that five million dogs and one million cats are slaughtered each year for their meat.
While the sale and consumption of dog meat is not illegal in Vietnam, there are punishable offenses for unregulated trans-provincial movement of dogs and pet thefts.
Despite there being no scientific evidence, some consumers believe that dog meat has medicinal properties and can increase male virility. Contrary to popular belief, dog meat is not an expensive delicacy, but costs around 150,000 - 200,00 VND ($6 - $8) per dish.
Species Unite applauds the compassionate decision by farmers like Mr. Cuong who have chosen to exit the dog meat trade, and we hope it inspires many others to follow in their footsteps. Take action against the dog meat trade now by signing Species Unite’s petition to ban dog meat in Vietnam’s capital city of Hanoi.
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