Cat and dog meat trade

A cruel trade hidden in plain sight

Every year across parts of Asia, millions of dogs and cats are stolen and sold into the cat and dog meat trades. Many are beloved companions, taken from family homes. Others are gentle strays – used to human kindness – snatched from the streets. All face terrifying journeys and brutal deaths in unregulated markets and roadside slaughterhouses.

Crushed into wire cages, often stacked on top of each other, the animals are denied food, water and rest. Many die from heat, shock or injury before they reach their destination. Those who survive often face being killed in extremely cruel ways that are designed to enhance the tenderness of the meat.

The emotional and human cost of cruelty

This isn’t just an animal welfare crisis – it’s a human one too. Families are left heartbroken when their companions vanish without trace. Children grieve for the animals they’ve grown up with. Communities live in fear, knowing their dogs and cats could be taken at any moment.

The trade also poses a serious threat to public health. Dogs and cats used for meat are rarely vaccinated, transported without oversight, and slaughtered in unsanitary conditions. These environments are a breeding ground for zoonotic diseases such as rabies, which is recognised by the United Nations as one of the world’s most serious public health threats.

Dogs and cats are sentient beings. They form bonds, feel fear, joy and pain, and trust the people who care for them. Their treatment in this trade violates everything we know – and feel – about their capacity to suffer.

Vietnam: a trade under fire

In Vietnam, it’s still legal to consume dog meat – but much of the trade operates outside the law. The large-scale transport of dogs and cats across provincial lines often violates animal health and disease control regulations, and there are no national laws to protect these animals from cruelty during capture or slaughter.

Stolen companions and strays are crammed into cages and trucked across vast distances in dangerous, inhumane conditions. Many suffer from illness or injury. Yet despite the risks to both animals and public health, enforcement of regulations is limited.

But things are changing. Cities like Hanoi are taking steps to phase out dog meat consumption. Public awareness is growing, and more people across Vietnam are calling for an end to this cruel and outdated trade.

China: a nation in transition

In China, the trade in dog and cat meat persists in some areas – but attitudes are changing. In 2020, the government removed dogs from the country’s official livestock list, recognising them as companion animals, not food. And by association, cats were also removed from the list. This landmark step followed years of advocacy by Animals Asia and other organisations working to promote animal sentience and welfare.

While selling dog and cat meat is now illegal in most cities, enforcement varies and the trade continues underground. Yet public awareness is rising. More and more people – particularly younger generations through our work in schools and universities – are choosing compassion over cruelty. Across the country, local groups, volunteers and authorities are working together to protect animals and create a more humane future.