Overview
- Ho Chi Minh City police carried out multi-day raids in mid-June and detained nine people accused of running a network that stole companion cats for sale into the meat trade.
- Officers recovered about 400 live cats in 45 cages, roughly 80 dead cats preserved on ice and an additional 21 live cats at a separate site, according to police and welfare groups.
- Suspects told investigators they had lured, trapped and collected cats across southern provinces for roughly three years and sold animals in batches to buyers for the regional market.
- Humane World for Animals and other groups have provided food, fans and veterinary care while police retain many animals as evidence, with about 40 cats reunited with owners and roughly 100 rescued cats reported to have later died.
- The case highlights a gap in Vietnam’s rules that allow cat meat if provenance is certified and is renewing public pressure and legal debate over stronger protections and better handling of rescued animals.