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Change is possible: cat meat farmer in Vietnam leaves the trade and starts new life growing crops instead

From Paul Healey, SpeciesUnite.com
July 2024

Cat fattening farms like Nguyễn Đức Thịnh’s are somewhat uncommon, as most cats killed for meat in the country are typically strays and pets snatched while roaming the streets.

Cats awaiting rescue at the cat meat facility. Credit: Meredith Lee/HSI

A cat meat farm and slaughterhouse in Vietnam has closed down for good after its struggling owner was offered help to exit the industry.

Based in the Thai Nguyen province, Mr. Nguyễn Đức Thịnh’s facility had bought, sold, and slaughtered thousands of cats for the meat trade over the past five years.

As part of the farm’s operations, Mr. Thịnh typically would buy young kittens who were then fattened up and eventually slaughtered for the cat meat trade.

Despite making a decent income, Mr. Thịnh struggled with the guilt of causing so much suffering to the animals. He also became aware of the industry’s harmful role in potentially spreading rabies amongst animals and humans in the local community and beyond.

“When I started the business five years ago, I had no idea that the cat and dog meat trades were linked to the spread of rabies and other diseases, and I never expected to be so affected by the suffering of the cats. ”, Mr. Thịnh explained. “Now that I am aware, I feel an immense sense of regret and I am hugely relieved to leave it all behind me.”

The sixty one-year-old farmer was finally able to transform his farm thanks to a one-off grant from the Humane Society International’s (HSI) Models for Change program, which helps support and facilitate business owners in the cat meat trade who want to exit the industry.

Mr. Thịnh has now permanently closed his business and has transitioned the property to grow tea, guava, and pomelo fruit for local markets instead.

“Scalding and drowning is a terrible death for any animal and I hate to think how many thousands of cats have endured that fate because of my business”, Mr. Thịnh told HSI. “I’m looking forward to leading a peaceful life growing crops instead.”

A rescuer from HSI spends time with a kitten being rescued from the cat meat facility in Thai Nguyen province, June 2024. The owner of this facility has agreed to transition out of the meat trade. Credit: Meredith Lee/HSI

As part of the program, HSI’s rescue team visited the cat meat farm last month and removed 20 young cats - including some who had been born on the farm in filthy conditions.

The rescued cats then received medical care at a nearby custom-made sheltering facility. Sixteen of the cats will soon be flown to HSI’s care and rehabilitation center in the US, where they will be seeking adoptive families. The remaining kittens will join them too once they are old enough to fly with their mother.

Vietnam’s cat meat trade

According to HSI, an estimated 1 million cats are killed for meat each year in Vietnam. Cat fattening farms like Mr Thịnh’s are somewhat uncommon, as most cats killed for meat in the country are typically strays and pets snatched while roaming the streets.

The cat meat industry has resulted in pet theft becoming a growing societal issue in Vietnam, with a recent poll showing that 87 percent of people have either had a pet stolen or have an acquaintance whose pet has been stolen.

During the rescue by HSI. Credit: Meredith Lee/HSI

However, there is hope that the movement against the cat and dog meat trade in the country is gaining in popularity. Only a relative minority of the Vietnamese population (around 21 percent) are said to consume cat meat, with cats increasingly being seen as companion animals rather than food.

“Our Models for Change program here in Viet Nam is demonstrating that cat and dog meat business owners like Mr Thịnh can be part of the solution to end these cruel and dangerous trades”, says Quang Nguyen, the companion animals and engagement program manager at HSI Vietnam. “South Korea’s recent ban on dog meat farming and sales proves that legislative change is possible, and we believe the health of Viet Nam’s citizens, as well as the welfare of its cats and dogs, would be safeguarded by a similar ban in this country.”

Species Unite applauds Mr Thịnh and his compassionate decision, and we hope it inspires many others to follow in his footsteps.

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Posted on All-Creatures.org: July 23, 2024
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