RismadarVoice Reporters, June 17, 2026
Police in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, seized more than 500 cats in a major bust of a cat meat crime ring, according to animal welfare groups and local media reports.
An investigation last week into a spate of pet thefts in the city led police to the ring and the detention of nine individuals, local media reported.
Officers discovered 45 cages holding roughly 400 live cats and four ice-filled foam containers holding about 80 dead cats, with another 21 live cats recovered at a separate location, according to the Ho Chi Minh City Criminal Police Division. Local media have described it as one of Vietnam’s largest cat welfare cases in recent years.
The suspects admitted to trapping and collecting cats across southern Vietnam over the past three years, in Ho Chi Minh City and the cities of Tay Ninh and An Giang, police said.
More than 40 of the rescued cats were reunited with their owners following the multiday operation, but several dozen others have since died from the harsh conditions in which they were found, animal welfare groups said. Several of the surviving cats were pregnant, and kittens have since been born in police custody, said Phuong Pham, Vietnam country director for Humane World for Animals.
“The sad truth about this trade is that thousands of cats every month are being stolen, trafficked and slaughtered for meat across the country,” Pham said. “Thankfully, these survivors escaped.”
Karanvir Kukreja, who leads the group’s campaign against dog and cat meat consumption, called the bust “a sobering reminder of the enormous scale of Vietnam’s cat meat trade.”
Chris Gindelhumer of the nonprofit Vietnam Cat Welfare, who is helping care for the rescued animals, said he had “seen quite a lot of tears in the last few days.” “It’s really beautiful to see how many Vietnamese families are coming, looking for their cats,” he said, “but it’s also heartbreaking because many families were looking for their cats and didn’t find them.” Veterinarians and volunteers have been working around the clock to care for the animals, he said.
Consumption of dog and cat meat is legal in Vietnam, though vendors must hold permits validating the animals’ origins. Some cities, including Hoi An in central Vietnam, are working with global animal welfare groups to end dog and cat meat consumption locally.
Following South Korea’s 2024 ban on dog meat, Vietnamese officials have said the government plans to update parts of its legal system to better protect pets and their owners’ rights.
“This event surprised a lot of people and has raised awareness among many to stop consuming cat meat,” said An Pham, a master’s student and cat owner in Ho Chi Minh City.
