Vietnam’s capital Hanoi urges people to stop eating dog meat
Officials say the popular dish is tarnishing the city’s image and risks spreading rabies
Officials in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi are urging residents to stop eating dog meat, saying it could damage the city’s reputation and lead to the spread of diseases such as rabies.
The Hanoi People’s Committee said the practice risked tarnishing the city’s image as a “civilised and modern capital”.
“The trading, killing and use of dog and cat meat has brought on a negative reaction from tourists and expatriates living in Hanoi,” the committee said.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Roasted, boiled or steamed dog meat “can be found in markets and food shops across the capital city famed for its tasty street food, and the meat is traditionally eaten with rice wine or beer”, says Channel News Asia.
A growing number of people in Vietnam disapprove of eating dog meat but it still remains “very much a deep-rooted habit”, according to the BBC’s Linh Nguyen.
The committee also urged residents to stop eating cat meat, often dubbed “little tiger” on Vietnamese menus, which is less popular than dog but still readily available in rural areas.
The committee highlighted the fact that many of the animals were cruelly killed.
There are said to be about 493,000 dogs and cats in the city, the vast majority of which are kept as domesticated pets, and about 1,000 shops open for selling the animal meat.
The government’s appeal also warned about the spread of rabies and other animal-borne diseases. According to the Associated Press, the move is part of a national program to stamp out rabies by 2021. Three people have died from the disease in the city this year and two others were confirmed to be infected.
Hanoi is known for its vibrant street food culture, “which was highlighted in 2016 when President Obama and the late chef Anthony Bourdain shared a $6 meal of bun cha for an episode of Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown”, says Time magazine.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Experts discover why dogs wag their tails
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Investigation into 'oldest ever dog' award
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
'Dirty work' to retrieve cash eaten by a dog
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Penile fracture risk higher over Christmas
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Puffed rice and yoga: inside the collapsed tunnel where Indian workers await rescue
Speed Read Workers trapped in collapsed tunnel are suffering from dysentery and anxiety over their rescue
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Cats have 249 more facial expressions than dogs
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Row over pole-dancing skeleton
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
Kent locals thought it was 'the end of the world'
Tall Tales And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published