Police in Vietnam rescued more than 400 cats in a major bust of a cat meat crime ring last week in Ho Chi Minh City, and at least 40 of them have been reunited with their owners.
However, several of the cats died because of the harsh conditions they were found in, animal welfare groups said.
Since the operation, veterinarians and volunteers have flocked to care for the cats at a temporary rescue center set up at a facility run by the Ho Chi Minh City Criminal Police Division.
Photo: Vietnam Cat Welfare via AP
“People who lost their cats can come to the police station to identify their pets and help the police with the investigation,” police official Nguyen The Bao said.
This operation is “a sobering reminder of the enormous scale of Viet Nam’s cat meat trade,” said Karanvir Kukreja, who leads a campaign against dog and cat meat consumption for the international nonprofit Humane World for Animals.
Local media also reported that the Ho Chi Minh City police investigation into a spate of pet thefts resulted in the arrest of nine people.
During the operation, police raided a yard and uncovered 45 cages containing about 400 live cats and four ice-filled foam containers holding about 80 dead cats.
About 20 live cats were also recovered at a separate location, the police added.
One kilogram of cat meat sold for about 70,000 Vietnamese dong (US$2.66), they said.
The suspects admitted to trapping and collecting cats across south Vietnam over the past three years, the police 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,” Humane World for Animals Vietnam director Phuong Pham said. “Thankfully, these survivors escaped.”
Several of the rescued cats were pregnant, leading to kittens being born in police custody this week, she said.
Vietnam Cat Welfare representative Chris Gindelhumer said he “saw quite a lot of tears in the last few days.”
“It’s really beautiful to see how many Vietnamese families are coming, looking for their cats,” he said. “But it’s also heartbreaking because many families were looking for their cats and didn’t find them.”
Many veterinarians and volunteers are working around the clock for the cats, Gindelhumer added.
Consumption of dog and cat meat is legal in Vietnam. Vendors must have permits to validate the animals’ origins, but certain cities such as Hoi An are working with global animal welfare groups to stop dog and cat meat consumption in the city.
“This event surprised a lot of people and has raised awareness among many to stop consuming cat meat,” cat lover An Pham said.
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