Criminal Gang Busted For Stealing 2,700 Cats They Were Going To Slaughter For Meat

The gang allegedly used a mixture of homemade and bought traps that they baited with fish before putting out on residential streets. Once a cat was caught, they'd quickly remove it and drive off on motorbikes.

According to the reports, each group could catch between 4 and 10 cats per night. 

Another bust in June

This isn't the first raid on the cat meat trade in recent months.

Back in June, another police sting in Ho Chi Minh City saw police save over 400 cats from an underground meat trade network. This time, police reportedly arrested at least 10 people involved in a gang accused of trapping and stealing cats across multiple regions of southern Vietnam.

Around 40 cats were returned to their owners, but 260 remained in police custody, including several pregnant females and kittens born after the rescue. 

Sadly, a number of cats in the seizure passed away, and police found another 80 or so dead cats at the scene.

The bust found cats being held in small cages, before they were to be sold to a buyer for their meat at around 70,000 Vietnamese đồng ($2.6) per kilogram.  

“It was quite an overwhelming sight to see so many cats seized from just a single transport in Viet Nam's illicit cat meat trade,” Phuong Tham, Vietnam country director for the non-profit group Humane World for Animals, said in a statement, commenting on the June raid.

“Many of the cats looked thin and weak, and it was clear to see they had been through a physical and mental ordeal from which, thankfully, they have a chance to recover. The sad truth about this trade is that thousands of cats every month are being stolen, trafficked and slaughtered for meat across the country, and the fate of most is to end up at a slaughterhouse or restaurant to be killed and eaten.” 

“Thankfully, these survivors escaped that fate, but this large seizure and the swift actions of the police are a welcome step in the crackdown that is badly needed on this trade,” added Tham.

The cat meat trade is alive and well

It’s estimated that every year 20 million dogs and 6 million cats are slaughtered globally for their meat. China is the epicenter of the trade, consuming approximately 10 million dogs and 4 million cats each year. A significant part of this trade is linked to criminal activity.

However, the vast majority of the population does not consume dog or cat meat, and attitudes are shifting, especially among younger generations.   

Elsewhere in Asia the dog and cat meat trade has been outlawed in several countries, including Thailand, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and parts of Indonesia.

Attitudes are changing

The cat meat trade is still very active in parts of Vietnam, but there is evidence that public opposition is growing. 

A 2023 survey in the Southeast Asian nation found 71 percent of people would back a ban on the consumption and trade of cat meat, while 68 percent support banning the dog meat trade.

While the spate of recent arrests shows there’s still a thriving market for cat meat, campaigners say the police crackdown and the public response are a promising sign that the industry is meeting resistance.

“The seizure of hundreds of cats by Ho Chi Minh City police is both a sobering reminder of the enormous scale of Viet Nam's cat meat trade, as well as a very clear demonstration of how attitudes within the country are changing to this cruel and dangerous trade and pet theft is being recognised as a significant issue,” added Dr Karanvir Kukreja, Ending Dog and Cat Meat campaign manager at Humane World for Animals. 

“The outpouring of support we are seeing from local volunteers, businesses, NGOs as well as the police is testament to the societal shift we are seeing in Viet Nam and the growth in concern for animal welfare.”