Police in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam have broken up a major criminal operation involving the theft and slaughter of cats for human consumption, rescuing more than 500 animals in the process, according to animal welfare organizations and local media reports.
The multiday operation last week resulted in the detention of nine individuals and the discovery of 45 cages holding approximately 400 live cats. Officers also found four foam containers packed with ice containing around 80 dead cats, along with 21 additional live cats recovered at a second location, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Criminal Police Division.
Although more than 40 of the cats were successfully reunited with their families, about 100 of the rescued animals have since died as a result of the brutal conditions they were kept in, welfare groups reported.
The bust was triggered by a police investigation into a string of pet thefts in Ho Chi Minh City. Suspects confessed to trapping and collecting cats throughout southern Vietnam over the past three years, operating across Ho Chi Minh City and the cities of Tay Ninh and An Giang.
Karanvir Kukreja, who leads a campaign against dog and cat meat consumption for the international nonprofit Humane World for Animals, described the operation as “a sobering reminder of the enormous scale of Viet Nam’s cat meat trade.” He added that millions of animals fall victim to thieves in Vietnam each year who steal pets off the streets and slaughter them for food.
Chris Gindelhumer, with the nonprofit Vietnam Cat Welfare, is among those helping care for the surviving animals. He 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,” Gindelhumer said. “But it’s also heartbreaking because many families were looking for their cats and didn’t find them.”
He noted that many veterinarians and volunteers have been working around the clock to care for the rescued cats.
While the consumption of dog and cat meat is legal in Vietnam — provided vendors hold permits verifying the animals’ origins — some cities, such as Hoi An in central Vietnam, are partnering with global animal welfare groups to end the practice locally. Vietnamese officials have also stated that the government plans to strengthen legal protections for pets and their owners, a move that came shortly after South Korea enacted a ban on dog meat in 2024.
An Pham, a master’s degree student and devoted cat lover in Ho Chi Minh City, said the bust has had a noticeable impact on public awareness. “This event surprised a lot of people and has raised awareness among many to stop consuming cat meat,” Pham said.
