JavaScript is off. Please enable to view full site.

Ho Chi Minh City advises citizens to shun dog meat

Ho Chi Minh City advises citizens to shun dog meat

Sunday, September 15, 2019, 14:26 GMT+7
Ho Chi Minh City advises citizens to shun dog meat
Preparing dog meat in Vietnam. Photo: Reuters

The food safety watchdog in Ho Chi Minh City has discouraged locals from eating dog meat to preserve the national image of Vietnam, following in Hanoi’s foosteps last year.

Eating dog meat is not a good habit so people should kick it, espcially in this era of international integration, the Food Safety Management Authority of Ho Chi Minh City said on its website this week.

Quitting eating dog meat would benefit ongoing efforts to create an image of a modern and civilized Vietnam, the authority added.

Many Vietnamese people like eating dogs as their meat is perceived as being rich in protein.

The dog is a domesticated animal that has been used to living with people for a long time, the food safety watchdog explained, adding that canines guard the house and are considered “pets and family members.”

In Vietnam, the relations between locals and their dogs have become closer than ever so more and more pet clinics and care services have sprung up in the country.

Vietnamese laws do not ban eating dog meat but dogs have never been formally designated as food.

Eating infected dogs can result in diseases in humans such as rabies and parasites infecting internal organs, the watchdog warned.

Chemichal residues in dog meat, particularly those from poisons used to kill dogs, are another threat to eaters.

“Consuming dog meat is a habit that is not good and should be given up, especially in the process of international integration and polishing the image of a Vietnam that is civilized and modern,” the authority said.   

Last year, Hanoi also called on locals to stop eating dog meat as the habit might spoil the image of the capital.

Vietnam consumes five million dogs a year, according to figures released in 2016 by the Asia Canine Protection Alliance.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!

Tuoi Tre News

More

Read more

;

Photos

VIDEOS

‘Taste of Australia’ gala dinner held in Ho Chi Minh City after 2-year hiatus

Taste of Australia Gala Reception has returned to the Park Hyatt Hotel in Ho Chi Minh City's District 1 after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Vietnamese woman gives unconditional love to hundreds of adopted children

Despite her own immense hardship, she has taken in and cared for hundreds of orphans over the past three decades.

Vietnam’s Mekong Delta celebrates spring with ‘hat boi’ performances

The art form is so popular that it attracts people from all ages in the Mekong Delta

Vietnamese youngster travels back in time with clay miniatures

Each work is a scene caught by Dung and kept in his memories through his journeys across Vietnam

Latest news