Every year in Vietnam, more than 6 million dogs and cats are stolen, trafficked and killed for their meat.

While most people know about the dog meat trade, few know about the horrors that their feline friends endure. More than one million cats suffer in silence in the trade that involves even more extreme cruelty and suffering. And even worse, the cat meat dish, ‘Little Tiger’ is increasing in popularity and availability across the country.

We have received shocking pictures from a cat slaughterhouse and restaurant in the heart of the ‘Cat Meat Capital’ city of Thai Binh, Vietnam. What happens in there is too horrible – we have seen pictures that we won't be able to forget. We talked to the owner of the restaurant and slaughterhouse where he keeps, kills and processes mainly cats, but also dogs from time to time. He is eager to get out of this horrible business.

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In December, FOUR PAWS along with our partners at Change for Animals Foundation and #CatsMatterToo coalition hopes to close this business for good, and rescue all animals on-site! Rescued cats and dogs will be immediately taken to FOUR PAWS BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh, where the FOUR PAWS Viet medical team will be on standby to provide urgent medical care. They will then be transported to partner charities in Central Vietnam for additional rehabilitation and care before being adopted into loving, forever homes.

Update 09. December 2020: CLOSURE DATE CONFIRMED!

After months of talks and planning, we are incredibly happy to report that we will go ahead with the closure of the cat and dog slaughterhouse in Vietnam's infamous 'cat meat-eating hotspot', on December 15th!

The sign is taken down, the 20 cats and 5 dogs are out and in our care, and no animal will ever have to die at the former slaughterhouse in Thai Binh, Vietnam. We will probably need a shower first to wash off all the sweat and tears from the two days of the mission - but all the work paid off as all the animals are safe now. Unfortunately, with one exception, as we don't want to hide from you that cat Nola passed away yesterday due to severe health problems she must have suffered when stolen by the meat thieves.

Thank you for your support during the last weeks and months! However, there are many more places like this – please sign our petition to #ProtectMillions to help support us until we end this trade forever.

After making their #FreedomFlights from Vietnam all the way to California, the cats are settling in at our US shelter partner Heaven On Earth Society For Animals where they will soon be available for adoption. The cats have been given their first medical check, and everyone is in good health and good spirits!

Our Dr Katherine Polak was there to greet the cats at Los Angeles International airport, along with “Big Smush” a graphic representation of the social media famous cat, activist, and philanthropist, Smush who helped FOUR PAWS raise funds to bring the cats to the US and raise awareness of the dog and cat meat trade through the #FightForCats initiative.

In the words of Danika Oriol-Morway, Country Director of FOUR PAWS in the US, “These rescues, flights, and slaughterhouse shutdowns may seem like small actions in the larger scheme of things, but they certainly mean life or death for these cats. FOUR PAWS estimates that 6 million dogs and cats are killed in Vietnam each year for their meat, and if our Escape the Trade effort can clear housing space in local shelters and allow for more animals to be rescued, than it is indeed a success in our eyes!”

We want to thank all of our partners across the globe who have helped these cats #EscapeTheTrade and made this journey possible! Thank you Paws for Compassion and Vietnam Cat Welfare, as well as BEAR SANCTUARY Ninh Binh who helped care for the cats after their rescue from the slaughterhouse in December of 2020.

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