This is the first time a Vietnamese city has taken such drastic action to end the dog and cat meat trade. Over the past year, Hoi An City People’s Committee has been working with Four Paws to develop this agreement to eliminate dog and cat meat from the city. The agreement will come into effect at the end of 2021 and will last for two years.
In addition, the agreement also aims to improve animal welfare through measures such as eliminating rabies through vaccination to prevent the risk of an outbreak, while also providing animal health care services in the community, and enforcing regulations and sanctions to help eliminate the dog and cat meat trade and related activities.
Now, Hoi An has become the first city in Vietnam that does not trade in dog and cat meat and is friendly to tourists. - Photo: Internet
“This is a watershed moment in Vietnam and the region,” said Julie Sanders, Director of Pets at Four Paws. “Every year in Vietnam, more than five million dogs and one million cats are trafficked and killed for their meat, endangering animal welfare and public health. Hoi An is a pioneering city that will be followed by other cities across the country.”
According to Four Paws, the dog and cat meat trade has long had a negative impact on Vietnam's image in the eyes of international friends. Therefore, saying "no" to dog and cat meat can help change past prejudices about Vietnam. - Photo: Four Paws
Mr. Nguyen The Hung, Vice Chairman of Hoi An City People's Committee, said that Hoi An is a heritage city with a rich history and culture and is a convergence of many domestic and foreign cultures. Hoi An is known for its tradition of "kind humanity" and simple lifestyle. Therefore, the project to build Hoi An into a friendly tourist city, not consuming dog and cat meat and supporting the elimination of rabies, supported by the Four Paws organization, is completely consistent with the orientation of building and developing an ecological, cultural and tourist city of Hoi An.
