This is the result of a survey conducted in Hanoi, Da Nang and Ho Chi Minh City with random groups of people of different ages, gender, marital status and social backgrounds about the dog and cat meat trade in Vietnam. The survey was conducted by Four Paws.

The survey found that up to 95% of Vietnamese think that eating dog and cat meat is not part of Vietnamese culture and they want to take action against the dog and cat trade. As many as 88% of Vietnamese would support a ban on the dog and cat meat trade.

Vietnamese people today, especially the younger generation, do not support the consumption of domesticated animal meat because more people raise pets, considering dogs and cats as an indispensable member of the family. Pet owners in Vietnam are heartbroken when their dogs and cats are stolen and brutally killed in slaughterhouses.

In March 2020, Four Paws published a report showing that the dog and cat meat trade is still taking place in Southeast Asia, although it poses many potential risks to the health of the community.

According to Four Paws, an estimated 5 million dogs and one million cats are brutally killed for meat every year in Vietnam. The dog and cat meat trade in Southeast Asia in general and Vietnam in particular not only shows cruelty to animals, but also poses great threats to public health, especially rabies and the emergence of other diseases.

However, all the cruelty and peril only serve the interests of a few individuals. Although the dog and cat meat trade is still rampant in Vietnam, surveys conducted by Four Paws reveal that only 6.3% of Vietnamese consume dog or cat meat, but 88% of the public support a government ban of the trade of dog and cat meat.

The majority of Vietnamese do not eat dogs and cats and want the government to act immediately to combat the trade and eating of dog and cat meat. Most recently, in early December 2021, Hoi An became the first city in Vietnam to say no to dog and cat meat consumption, moving towards a tourist-friendly city.

In a historic agreement inked between the People's Committee of Hoi An City, Quang Nam province and Four Paws, Hoi An committed to eliminating dog and cat meat from the city. Throughout 2021, the Hoi An City People's Committee worked with Four Paws to craft this agreement and became the first city to take radical action to end the dog and cat meat trade.

The agreement also emphasizes improving animal welfare through vaccination programs and eliminating rabies, to prevent the threat of a pandemic outbreak.

Hoi An - a cultural heritage recognized by UNESCO – is also a tourist destination loved by many Vietnamese and international friends, which will be known more as a destination that does not consume dog and cat meat.

After signing the agreement with Hoi An, in mid-December 2021, Four Paws launched a large campaign "This is not Vietnam" to call on the Vietnamese people to take action against the dog and cat meat trade. After only a few weeks of launching, the campaign "This is not Vietnam" got more than 20,000 signatures.

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