Police find 400 live cats, 80 dead in Vietnam cat meat ring, and 40 make it back home

A major cat trapping and slaughter crime ring has been busted in Vietnam, saving 400 cats from the chopping block.

What happened?

During a multiday operation in Ho Chi Minh City, police recovered more than 500 cats. Roughly 400 were alive. Unfortunately, about 80 were found dead inside ice-filled containers, according to an NBC News report.

Local media reported that nine people were detained after investigators linked a string of pet thefts to the suspected crime ring.

According to the Ho Chi Minh City Criminal Police Division, officers found about 400 live cats in 45 cages and recovered an additional 21 live cats at a different site. Animal welfare groups said more than 40 of the rescued animals have since been reunited with their owners.

Animal welfare groups said several dozen of the cats that survived the raid later died because of the harsh conditions they had endured.

Karanvir Kukreja, who heads a campaign against dog and cat meat consumption for the international nonprofit Humane World for Animals, described the operation as "a sobering reminder of the enormous scale of Vietnam's cat meat trade."

Why does it matter?

The case is also shining renewed light on the scale of dog and cat theft in Vietnam and on the animal welfare groups working to stop it.

Police said the suspects admitted to trapping and collecting cats across southern Vietnam over the past three years.

Phuong Pham, the country director of Humane World for Animals in Vietnam, said: "The sad truth about this trade is that thousands of cats every month are being stolen, trafficked, and slaughtered for meat across the country."

Chris Gindelhumer of the nonprofit Vietnam Cat Welfare, which is helping care for the animals, said he "saw 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 added, though "many families were looking for their cats and didn't find them."

Several of the cats were pregnant, and kittens were born while their mothers were in police custody.

What's being done?

The immediate response has focused on rescue, veterinary treatment, and reconnecting pets with their families.

Gindelhumer said veterinarians and volunteers are working around the clock to care for the cats.

Dog and cat meat consumption is still legal in Vietnam, though vendors are supposed to have permits showing where the animals came from.

Some cities, including Hoi An, are working with global animal welfare groups to stop dog and cat meat consumption.

An Pham, a master's degree student and avid cat lover in Ho Chi Minh City, said, "This event surprised a lot of people and has raised awareness among many to stop consuming cat meat."

"Thankfully, these survivors escaped," Phuong Pham said.

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