Inside Vietnam's dog meat market: Harrowing videos show puppies and kittens being sent to slaughter - including some wearing pet collars - as charity demands end to barbaric trade

Harrowing video footage has exposed the shocking practices of Vietnam's wet markets, capturing the barbaric slaughter of dogs and cats for their meat. 

The dog meat trade has long sparked controversy, with The Humane Society estimating that five million dogs and one million cats are 'caught, stolen, trafficked and slaughtered every year in Vietnam to supply meat for human consumption.' 

In a new investigation, animal rights charity Lady Freethinker traveled to the country's capital, Hanoi, and toured its markets to capture the abuse as part of their campaign for a ban. 

Founder Nina Jackel said: 'The conditions we found were heartbreaking, no animal should be treated that way. Dogs were visibly shaking in fear as they watched other dogs slaughtered right in front of them.'

Some of the kittens and puppies they saw crammed into cages were still wearing collars, suggesting they were stolen pets. 

Harrowing video from non profit Lady Freethinker has exposed the shocking practices in Vietnam's dog meat markets

The Humane Society estimated that five million dogs and one million cats are caught and eaten each year in Vietnam

Founder Nina Jackel said: 'The conditions we found were heartbreaking, no animal should be treated that way.'

As polls suggest public sentiment towards the practice in Vietnam is shifting, the charity is calling for a ban on the trade, following a similar act in South Korea. 

The nonprofit's investigator made several visits to markets and restaurants in Hanoi's city center and found 'extreme suffering of dogs and cats'. 

They said: 'Meat from the animals was processed on top of the cages of live dogs, with blood dripping onto the faces of the frightened animals.

'One dog was clubbed over the head repeatedly and then tossed into a bin. 

'The dog appeared paralyzed in an unnatural position and took multiple, labored breaths while appearing to die slowly on top of two other dogs’ bodies.' 

'Workers grabbed struggling dogs by the neck with long metal tongs, hit them over the head repeatedly with a giant club while restrained, and then moved onto the next dog in the cage,' they said. 

Eating dog meat is a longstanding tradition in Vietnam, primarily in the North of the country. 

Dog is a popular dish for special occasions, parties and reunions and is considered to have wide-ranging health benefits, for everything from a man's virility, to every day protein and energy. 

Many of the kittens and puppies they saw crammed into cages were still wearing collars, suggesting they were stolen pets

One of the cats photographed was wearing a bright blue collar

Meat was processed on top of the cages of live dogs

Workers grabbed struggling dogs by the neck with long metal tongs and beat them

A poll commissioned by Humane Society International in September 2023 found 40 percent of the Vietnamese population eat dog meat, while 21 percent eat cat meat. 

They found dog meat is most popular among men in northern Vietnam while cat meat dishes are particularly common around Hanoi.

Jackel said: 'Animal cruelty is not species specific. The conditions we found were heartbreaking and no animal should be treated that way, similarly pigs and cows.

'Factory farm conditions are horrific and we campaign for all animals.' 

Outrage over the dog trade arises every few years, but polls suggest there is a growing negative sentiment towards it among young Vietnamese people. 

More young people have started to support a ban on dog and cat meat and do not believe cat and dog meat is a part of Vietnamese culture. 

A recent Humane Society poll found 68 percent of people support a ban on the dog meat trade. 

As well as animal welfare concerns there can be serious implications for human health. 

One dog the charity saw was clubbed over the head repeatedly and then tossed into a bin

There is a human health risk too as WHO warns eating dog can cause cholera

Recent polls by charities have reported that the majority of Vietnamese citizens support a ban

Jackel said: 'Very recently it was locally reported that a man who was working in the dog meat trade in Vietnam died from rabies from a bite.

'Clearly there is a human health risk involved in this. The World Health Organization has warned that the slaughter and consumption of dogs does pose risks to human health including rabies, cholera - it isn't limited to dog health.'

As well as health concerns, there have been many reports of people having pets stolen and sold for meat. 

Some of the animals the charity saw were wearing collars, suggesting they were pets and had recently been stolen, while others were strays or were bred for their meat. 

Jackel said: 'These animals are often stolen companions so beyond the cruelty of the slaughter, there are human families who are missing beloved pets.'

In January, South Korea's national assembly unanimously passed a motion to outlaw  slaughtering, breeding, trading or selling dogs for human consumption, starting in 2027.

In January, South Korea's national assembly unanimously passed a motion to outlaw the dog trade by 2027

Jackel is campaigning for a ban on the practice in Vietnam too

Now Lady Freethinker is campaigning for a ban on the practice in Vietnam too. 

Vietnam has made steps towards a ban before. In 2018, Hanoi announced that they would be phasing out the consumption of dog meat completely by 2021. 

But Jackel said: 'Clearly that hasn't happened.'

She added: 'I hope with these findings we can encourage the government to revisit that and enforce a ban.  

'The evidence is clear – dogs and cats are suffering immensely in Vietnam’s meat trade, and human health is at risk as well. I urge the government to take action to stop this cruel and dangerous industry.'