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Dogs wait to be slaughtered at a slaughterhouse in Hanoi
As urban legends go, this is a pretty good one. A woman brings her pet dog to a Vietnamese restaurant and hands it to the affable waiter, who asks him to feed it kitchen scraps. But then, on a silver platter, to much fanfare, poor Foo-Foo is grilled and served as the main course.
Of course, it’s easy to overlook the truth of this modern fable, and it’s unlikely that your own “best friend” will be slaughtered in a Hanoi restaurant. Yet, thousands of pet dogs are slaughtered in Hanoi every year. Vietnam ——Victims of the brutal smuggling trade, the four Southeast Asian countries finally decided to completely eliminate this trade.
（more: Only celebrity gossip: Vietnam bans news discussion on blogs and social networking sites）
Vietnam reached an agreement this week Cambodia, Thailand and Laos aim to stop dog meat trafficking. Most of the victims are well-groomed pets stolen in Thailand, packed into cramped cages and shipped across the Mekong River to Laos, where they end up on Vietnamese dinner plates. “Even with high-tech equipment, stray dogs are difficult to catch,” said John Daly, founder of the Phuket-based charity. Dog Lane“The vast majority of the dogs we see being intercepted are actually stolen pets — most are wearing collars and are very docile and friendly,” she told Time magazine.
But the reason behind the new move is not organized crime or animal cruelty, but the spread of disease. Vietnam has one of the worst rabies problems in Asia, with dogs being the main cause. Recent epidemic situation 117 people, including children, were bitten by rabid dogs in Hanoi suburbs. Association of Southeast Asian Nations Target All member states are supposed to be rabies-free by 2020, a target that has been ignored by dog traders. “While stopping the dog meat trade will not eliminate rabies in itself, it will never be eliminated as long as rabies continues,” Daly added.
The new plan focuses on encouraging law enforcement to combat smuggling, including a five-year ban on importing dogs into Vietnam. However, many remain cautious because all countries in the region already ban cross-border transport of dogs without proof of rabies vaccination, health certificates, export permits and proper identification.[The deal] “It’s a big step forward, but we obviously need to see it enforced,” Daly explained. “That requires strong action from the government and involving other agencies like border control and the police.”
（watch: Vietnam’s “Dragon Bridge” has six lanes and can be watched by people breathing fire）
Moreover, the huge profits have led many to question whether the scheme will ever be fully successful. Each dog can fetch between 5,000 and 7,000 baht ($155-215), and an estimated five million dogs are slaughtered each year, making dog trafficking a significant illegal industry. “Given the illegal trade we are combating, the border between Thailand and other countries is long and difficult to manage, so we are still looking for a solution,” said Boonseub Chemchoig, chief inspector general of the Thai Ministry of Interior. Many fear that targeting smugglers will only force them to find new routes.
And whether or not enforcement efforts are successful, a massive domestic slaughter industry means dogs won’t be off Vietnamese menus anytime soon. “I can’t imagine much will change in terms of stopping dog meat consumption or curbing illegal dog trafficking,” said Nikki Sakura, who runs a popular Hanoi Restaurant Blog and Street Food Tour“The Vietnamese still hold onto traditions and are very proud of their culinary heritage,” she told TIME. So while dogs in Thailand might be able to rest a little easier, don’t expect to see tails wagging in Vietnam anytime soon.
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