WDA Condemns Barbaric Dog and Cat Theft Syndicates in Vietnam as Law Enforcement Intensified Ahead of APEC 2027

In October 2026, Vietnamese authorities and state media uncovered two consecutive, highly organized dog and cat theft and trafficking syndicates operating out of the Ho Chi Minh City metropolitan area, exposing the extreme brutality and criminal scale underpinning the underground dark industry of eating dogs and cats in Vietnam:

• The Cat Theft Ring in Ho Chi Minh City (AFP / State Media, October 5): Police dismantled a criminal syndicate operating across residential districts, arresting 12 suspects who confessed to stealing and trafficking approximately 2,700 cats of various breeds. Operating primarily between 11:00 PM and 4:00 AM on motorbikes, the suspects deployed specialized traps to steal four to ten cats per team every night, selling them for at least 70,000 VND (approx. $2.80 USD) per kilogram. Law enforcement seized mechanical de-hairing machines, 55 cage traps, weighing scales, and 50 live cats held in confinement.

  
  

• The 10-Ton Inter-Provincial Canine Trafficking Syndicate (VIETJO, October 21): Ho Chi Minh City police indicted 11 individuals—including ringleaders and downstream buyers—for running a cross-regional criminal enterprise that traded over 10 metric tons of dog meat. Suspects used homemade stun guns and weapons to capture pets, slaughtered them, and transported the meat to northern regions such as Hanoi, Haiphong, and Hung Yen via long-distance buses. Raids in Dong Nai Province uncovered stun guns, vehicles loaded with 21 dead dogs (approx. 305 kg), and freezers storing 32 slaughtered dogs (approx. 420 kg) and 57 slaughtered cats (approx. 170 kg), with bank transfers exceeding 860 million VND (approx. $34,400 USD).   

  
  

The World Dog Alliance (WDA) unequivocally condemns these barbaric and heinous acts. Stealing beloved family companions under the cover of darkness, stunning them with lethal electric weapons, and processing them in clandestine slaughter facilities is a flagrant violation of public security, food safety, and moral values.   

These back-to-back operations signal a welcome and timely escalation in law enforcement. As Vietnam prepares to welcome world leaders to Phu Quoc Island in November 2027 for the APEC Economic Leaders' Week, the nation steps into the international spotlight. Hosting the leaders of the world's major economies requires projecting a modern, safe, and civilized society. These intensified crackdowns reflect Vietnam’s ambition to eradicate violent illicit black-market syndicates and align with international standards of civility.

However, addressing pet theft solely through property crime statutes cannot dismantle the illicit trade. So long as commercial demand and regulatory vacuums persist, companion animals will remain prime targets for violent crime. The World Dog Alliance urges the Vietnamese Government to take the decisive next step: enact explicit national legislation prohibiting the consumption of dogs and cats. By establishing a comprehensive statutory ban, Vietnam can stand shoulder to shoulder with pioneering Asian neighbors—such as Taiwan and South Korea—where dogs and cats are safeguarded as family members and not food.