Following years of prodding by local authorities, the proprietor of one of the last three establishments serving dog meat in Hoi An City, a renowned tourist destination in Quang Nam Province, central Vietnam, has finally agreed to permanently close down, a local official said on Wednesday.

Nguyen The Hung, vice-chairman of the administration in Hoi An City, told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper that the owner of the soon-to-be-closed dog meat restaurant is Pham Van Quyet, a resident of Cam Pho Ward, located approximately one kilometer from Hoi An Ancient Town.

Quyet made the commitment on Tuesday during a meeting with representatives of the Hoi An City People’s Committee and global animal welfare organization Four Paws.

Fifteen years ago, when dog meat restaurants were scarce and local demand soared, Quyet and his wife opened their eatery in Hoi An.

For 15 years, the restaurant served local laborers and tourists daily, opening its doors at 2:00 pm sharp.

They typically bought around 350 dogs annually, all slaughtered and brought in from outside Hoi An, Quyet said.

Driven by the goal of becoming a welcoming and civilized tourist destination, Hoi An authorities partnered with Four Paws in 2021 to eliminate dog and cat meat businesses within the city.

This initiative involved offering financial assistance to owners in exchange for their closure.

At present, Hoi An boasts a population of 150,000 residents.

Prior to 2015, the city was home to approximately 15 dog meat restaurants.

However, only two such establishments remain, both located on Nguyen Tat Thanh Street, thanks to the ongoing campaign, Hung confirmed.

The Hoi An administration remains optimistic that these remaining dog meat restaurants will soon follow suit and close their doors permanently.

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