Police save more than 400 cats from being eaten in Vietnam

Hundreds of cats were saved as part of a police operation in Vietnam during which law enforcement dismantled a criminal network involved in stealing pets in the south of the country.

The criminals had been operating for more than three years, according to reports. The rescued animals were to be sent for slaughter for sale as meat.

Nine suspects were detained, the official Ho Chi Minh City police newspaper reports. Police found more than 400 live animals and another 80 that had already been killed and stored in a refrigerator.

The operation was launched in response to a surge in pet thefts. According to police, the detainees confessed to luring and catching cats in various areas of southern Vietnam.

Consumption of cats and dogs is not prohibited by law in Vietnam, and some restaurants openly include such dishes on their menus. However, traders are required to have certificates confirming the origin of the animals. Recently, the popularity of this practice has been declining, especially in large cities where the culture of keeping pets is growing and attitudes toward cats and dogs as companion animals are changing.

The international animal protection organization Humane World for Animals confirmed that as of Tuesday at least 40 of the rescued cats had been returned to their owners and praised the police for "decisive action that saved the lives of so many animals." At the same time, it noted that about a hundred of the rescued animals later died due to cruel conditions and suffering endured.

The organization stated that its primary task is to ensure the welfare of the animals, some of which are still being held at the police station as evidence in the ongoing case.

"While work continues to return the stolen cats to their owners, we are most concerned about the animals that remain at the police station as evidence in the case," said Karanvir Kukreja, a representative of Humane World for Animals.

According to the organization, it has already provided the animals with food and is arranging delivery of fans so they do not overheat while in custody.

Source: Euronews