Investigators have discovered an illegal slaughterhouse with more than four tonnes of cat meat and 480 live cats in Vietnam.
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The facility located in the Lai Vung District, in the Mekong Delta’s Dong Thap Province, Vietnam, was reportedly found on Thursday, 16th February.
The view shocked investigators after they spotted the massive amount of meat of unknown origin with no vet hygiene certificates that was kept in cold storage.
Each of the animals found inside the animal factory weighed about two kilogrammes (4.4 lbs) meaning that the total of four tonnes (lbs 8,818) remains accounted for about 2,000 cats.
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Officials claimed that the owner identified as Nguyen Huy Quyen had been collecting and transporting animals without possessing appropriate paperwork for quite some time.
A representative from the slaughterhouse and animal factory revealed that the felines were bought from several places in the region.
The ones that were butchered were expected to be transported to the north of the country and turned into bone glue which Vietnamese people use as traditional medicine.
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Reports claimed that the adhesive is created by prolonged boiling of the cat’s connective tissue and aside from its primary use, it can also be utilised for coating and sizing, in decorative composition ornaments, and as a clarifying agent.
In turn, the representative explained that the live cats were about to be transported to Ho Chi Minh City for sale.
Head of the Dong Thap animal husbandry department Vo Be Hien said that even though the facility was not authorised to butcher cats, it will still be allowed to transport them once it secures adequate papers.
Meanwhile, the live cats will be transported to a cat farm for health checks and vaccinations prior to the transport.
The tonnes of butchered cat meat will be disposed of, the department head confirmed.
Dong Thap Environmental Police is expected to fine the slaughterhouse’s owners and management.
Consumption of cat and dog meat is legal in Vietnam, which can often be found in restaurants that possess certificates showing its origin.
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The animal welfare organisation Four Paws condemned cat and dog meat trade and estimated that up to a million cats fall victim to the illegal wildlife trade every year in Vietnam.
To put an end to it they launched a campaign called ‘This is not Vietnam” in order to raise Vietnamese opposition’s awareness against the ‘cruel and barbaric’ trade on 17th December 2021.
Head of Campaigns South-East Asia (Companion Animals) Dr Karan Kukreja said: in a statement obtained by Newsflash: “This campaign comes at a pivotal time in the country’s history of this cruel and barbaric practice.
“A change in the perception and reputation of Vietnam in terms of the dog and cat meat trade is happening and the government has a chance to act now.
“Our aim is to introduce, strengthen and enforce animal protection laws which will bring an end to this brutal trade.
“This will not only protect animals but also people from public health risks.”