Animal welfare groups said the bust highlighted the “enormous scale” of the domestic cat meat trade.
Posted on: June 17, 2026
Vietnamese police have seized more than 400 cats stolen from a major bust of a cat meat crime syndicate in Ho Chi Minh City, according to animal welfare groups and local media.
More than 40 of the rescued cats were reunited with their owners after a multi-day operation last week, but dozens of the rescued cats died due to the harsh conditions in which they were found, the groups said.
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Karanvir Kukreja, who leads a campaign against consumption of dog and cat meat at the international non-profit Humane World for Animals, said in a statement Tuesday that the operation was a “sobering reminder” of the enormous scale of Vietnam’s cat meat trade.
An investigation into a surge in pet thefts in Ho Chi Minh City last week led police to track down a cat meat gang and detain nine people, according to local media.
According to the Ho Chi Minh City Criminal Police Department, officers found 45 cages containing about 400 live cats and four ice-filled foam containers containing about 80 dead cats, while 21 live cats were found in a separate location.
The suspects admitted to capturing and collecting cats throughout southern Vietnam, including Ho Chi Minh City, Tay Ninh and An Giang, over the past three years, police said.
In Vietnam, millions of animals fall victim to dog and cat thieves who steal animals from the streets or steal family pets and slaughter them for food, Kukreja said.
“I’ve shed quite a few tears over the past few days,” said Chris Gindelhumer of the non-profit Vietnam Cat Welfare, which helps care for the rescued animals.
“It’s really beautiful to see how many Vietnamese families come looking for their cats,” he said. “But it’s also heartbreaking because so many families are looking for their cats and can’t find them.”
Many veterinarians and volunteers work day and night for the cats, Gindelhumer said.
Eating dog and cat meat is legal in Vietnam. Suppliers must be licensed to verify the origin of their animals. However, some cities, such as Hoi An in central Vietnam, are working with global animal welfare groups to stop consuming dog and cat meat.
Not long after South Korea imposed a 2024 ban on dog meat, Vietnamese officials said the government plans to reform parts of the legal system to better protect the rights of pets and their owners.
