Animal Welfare Group Saves 24 Cats and Dogs from Death by Shutting Down Vietnam Slaughterhouse

Courtesy of FOUR PAWS

A cat meat restaurant, which reportedly served around 240 cat meat meals a month, and its associated slaughterhouse in Thai Binh, Vietnam, were shut down on Dec. 15.

According to Four Paws — the global animal welfare organization that oversaw the shutdown along with Change for Animals Foundation, Hanoi Pet Rescue, Paws for Compassion, and Vietnam Cat Welfare — 20 cats and 5 dogs awaiting slaughter were rescued from the facility. Unfortunately, one of the cats died shortly after it was saved.

The surviving animals are currently under the care of vets at Four Paws' bear sanctuary in Vietnam. Once they have had the time and treatment they need to rest and recover, they will be put up for adoption.

These soon-to-be-adoptable animals are just a few of the millions taken from the street of Vietnam each year to be slaughtered for consumption, according to a release from Four Paws, which adds that family pets are often among animals picked up for slaughter.

Courtesy of FOUR PAWS

RELATED: Rescue Group Shuts Down Dog Meat Slaughterhouse, Helps 6 Other Dog Meat Rescues Find Homes

The small victory of the slaughterhouse shutdown was made possible in part by the facility's owners. When Four Paws started its investigation into the cat meat trade in Vietnam in 2019, the owners of the cat meat restaurant and its slaughterhouse reached out to the animal welfare organization for help getting out of the business.

Courtesy of FOUR PAWS

Four Paws and the Change for Animals Foundation are now helping the couple who ran the shutdown businesses set up a second-hand motorbike shop, on the condition that the couple won't become involved in the cat and dog meat trade again.

Courtesy of FOUR PAWS

To help the countless animals caught up in Vietnam's dog and cat meat trade, Four Paws has started an international and national campaign to end these trades in the country. A petition the organization launched as part of the campaign has already received over 1 million signatures, including 200,000 from Vietnamese citizens.

RELATED: Animal Welfare Group Shuts Down Dog Meat Slaughterhouse in Cambodia and Rescues 15 Dogs On-Site

Four Paws hopes through education and cooperation with the responsible authorities and tourism associations, the government will be convinced to introduce and enforce legislation banning the dog and cat meat trade in Vietnam.