In a plot twist that has cats everywhere cautiously optimistic, police in Vietnam have rescued more than 400 cats from a cat meat crime ring in Ho Chi Minh City. The operation, which animal welfare groups are calling a major bust, involved the detention of nine individuals and the discovery of 45 cages holding about 400 live cats, along with four ice-filled foam containers containing approximately 80 dead cats, according to Ho Chi Minh City police. An additional 21 cats were found alive at a separate location, bringing the total seized to over 500 - making this one of Vietnam's largest cat welfare cases in recent years, local media report.
More than 40 cats were reunited with their owners after the multiday operation last week, but several dozen of those rescued have died due to the harsh conditions they were found in, the groups said. “The sad truth about this trade is that thousands of cats every month are being stolen, trafficked and slaughtered for meat across the country,” said Phuong Pham, director of Humane World for Animals in Vietnam. “Thankfully, these survivors escaped.” Several of the rescued cats were pregnant, leading to kittens being born in police custody this week, she added.
Karanvir Kukreja, who leads a campaign against dog and cat meat consumption for the international nonprofit Humane World for Animals, called the operation “a sobering reminder of the enormous scale of Vietnam’s cat meat trade.” The suspects admitted to trapping and collecting cats across south Vietnam over the past three years in Ho Chi Minh City and the cities of Tay Ninh and An Giang, police said. Chris Gindelhumer, from Vietnam Cat Welfare, who is helping care for the rescued animals, said he “saw quite a lot of tears in the last few days.” Many veterinarians and volunteers are working around the clock for the cats, he noted.
Consumption of dog and cat meat is legal in Vietnam, though vendors must have permits to validate the animals’ origins. Certain cities such as Hoi An are working with global animal welfare groups to stop the practice. Not long after South Korea’s 2024 ban on dog meat, Vietnamese officials said the government planned to rebuild parts of the legal system to better protect pets and the rights of their owners. “This event surprised a lot of people and has raised awareness among many to stop consuming cat meat,” said An Pham, a student and cat lover in Ho Chi Minh City.