Brussels, 4 October 2023 – In an historic display of compassion and unity, two million people from across the world have rallied behind FOUR PAWS, the leading global animal welfare organization, to demand an end to the dog and cat meat trade in Southeast Asia.

This incredible milestone for FOUR PAWS reflects the immense support and determination of individuals worldwide who are united against the cruel and inhumane practice of slaughtering dogs and cats for their meat, specifically in Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia.

Since the petition’s launch in 2019, FOUR PAWS has successfully closed down four notorious slaughterhouses and intercepted two transport trucks, rescuing and rehoming hundreds of innocent animals and saving potentially thousands more from an awful fate.

In Vietnam, FOUR PAWS has forged a partnership with Hoi An People’s Committee to phase out the dog and cat meat trade and transform Hoi An into Vietnam’s first tourist-friendly city, marking a pivotal step in the organization's mission to eliminate this brutal trade.

As a member of the Dog Meat Free Indonesia (DMFI) coalition, FOUR PAWS has supported in achieving bans on the trade in 22 cities and regencies across Indonesia, including the capital city of Jakarta.

Almost 90% of Vietnamese and Cambodian citizens have expressed their opposition to the trade; an overwhelming show of support from local communities that aligns with the sentiments of tourists and over 80 tour operators who have also united behind FOUR PAWS' campaign.

Nick Weston, the Head of International Campaigns, states, “The support shown for our campaign to end the dog and cat meat trade has been inspiring. People across the globe have united to say that this barbaric trade and practice has no place in modern society.

“Ten million dogs and cats are killed every year in Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia alone for their meat. The dog and cat meat trade is not only immensely cruel but also poses a risk for the emergence of new zoonotic diseases and is strongly linked to public health threats such as rabies.”

“FOUR PAWS urges the governments in question to introduce an outright ban on the dog and cat meat trade across Southeast Asia to protect both human and animal health and welfare and prevent potential future public health catastrophes. The time for action is now, not after the next crisis.”

Background

The dogs and cats ending up in the trade are often stolen pets or stray animals taken from the streets, crammed into small cages, and brutally killed at restaurants, markets, and slaughterhouses throughout Southeast Asia. The unsanitary conditions in slaughterhouses and live animal markets facilitate the transmission of zoonotic diseases and provide the perfect breeding ground for the development of novel ones, with potentially catastrophic results for global public health.

Throughout FOUR PAWS work in the region, it has always supported local animal welfare organisations and communities with humane and sustainable stray animal care programmes.

FOUR PAWS is also a member of several animal welfare coalitions: Dog Meat Free Indonesia (DMFI), the Asia Canine Protection Alliance (ACPA) and the Cats Matter Too coalition, which lobby against the dog and cat meat trade in Southeast Asia, as well as the Asia for Animals Coalition, which works to improve the welfare of all animals across Asia.