Brutal Dog Theft Ring Linked to Meat Trade Broken Up in Vietnam
Authorities in Vietnam’s Gia Lai Province have recently dismantled a criminal network suspected of stealing an estimated 5,200 dogs over the past year to supply the nation’s dog meat trade. During a raid earlier this month, police arrested six men and confiscated 23 dogs, along with wire snares, electric shock devices, chili powder used to disorient animals, and multiple motorcycles used in late-night thefts.
Investigators described the operation as organized and systematic, targeting suburban neighborhoods and villages where dogs were captured, subdued, and sold to meat restaurants locally and in northern Vietnam. The group is believed to have trafficked 52 tons of dog meat, generating roughly VND2.6 billion (about $100,000 USD) in profit.
The raid comes at a pivotal moment, as government officials in Vietnam consider a future without the dog meat trade. At the end of January, Vietnam’s Ministry of Agriculture and Environment met with FOUR PAWS and other stakeholders for its third Companion Animal Technical Working Group meeting, where officials reviewed a proposed roadmap to end the dog and cat meat trade. Government representatives acknowledged the need for coordinated action under a One Health framework due to the link between the companion animal meat trade and zoonotic disease. However, the current roadmap does not envision ending the trade before 2030. Cases like the recently exposed theft ring demonstrate that more immediate action is needed, as dogs’ lives continue to be put at risk every day.
While it is encouraging to see those who profited from the suffering of innocent animals brought to justice, as long as the dog meat trade remains legal and lucrative, criminal networks will continue stealing beloved animals from families and communities. Ending the trade entirely is the only way to stop the theft, the suffering, and the violence these animals endure. You can help by signing our petition calling on Vietnam’s capital to pass a full ban. We will continue to push for decisive action until this cruel industry is brought to an end.