Authorities in Vietnam's largest city have dismantled what they describe as an organized network responsible for stealing thousands of cats from urban neighborhoods and selling the animals for meat, according to state media reports.
Police in Ho Chi Minh City arrested 12 men in connection with the operation, which investigators say resold roughly 2,700 cats over an unspecified period. The suspects were taken into custody as part of a theft investigation, state media said Monday.
Investigators identified 39-year-old Luu Thanh Binh as the suspected ringleader. According to state media, Binh purchased stolen cats, housed them at a facility in the northern section of the city, and then resold the animals to buyers in the meat trade.
The network allegedly relied on a tiered structure of suppliers who, in turn, recruited others to carry out the actual thefts. These recruits reportedly rode motorcycles through residential areas during the overnight hours, typically between 11 p.m. and 4 a.m., searching for cats to capture. Each participant is suspected of trapping between four and 10 cats per night, according to investigators.
Police executed a raid on the network on July 8, uncovering approximately 50 cats and dozens of traps at the site, state media reported. The suspects later told investigators they had stolen and sold about 2,700 cats in total, though police have not disclosed how long the operation had been active.
Following the raid, authorities returned 13 of the confiscated cats to their owners. The remaining animals were placed in the care of a nonprofit animal rights group while officials worked to identify and locate their owners, according to the reports.
The case highlights a longstanding cultural practice in parts of Asia that has come under increasing scrutiny as pet ownership rises and societal attitudes shift. Eating dog and cat meat is not unique to Vietnam, though it is not a widespread custom nationally. Within Vietnam, cat meat has traditionally been consumed more often in the northern regions and among older generations.
That practice has been declining, however, as urbanization spreads and more Vietnamese households welcome dogs and cats as companion animals rather than livestock. Younger generations, in particular, are far more likely to view these animals as pets deserving of protection.
The shift in public sentiment has been accompanied by organized advocacy. In 2024, more than 250,000 people signed a petition urging an end to Vietnam's dog and cat meat trade. The central Vietnamese city of Hoi An had already pledged in 2021 to phase out the sale and consumption of dog and cat meat within its jurisdiction.
Some people who consume cat meat believe the practice brings good luck, though no scientific evidence supports such claims. The belief persists in certain communities despite the growing popularity of cats as household pets.
Under Vietnamese law, dogs and cats are classified as private property. The theft of such animals is therefore treated as a property crime, and criminal prosecution generally applies when the value of the stolen property exceeds 2 million dong — a threshold that, given the volume of animals involved in this case, investigators say was likely surpassed.
The case in Ho Chi Minh City is notable not only for the scale of the alleged operation but also for the manner in which it operated. The overnight thefts, carried out by motorcyclists sweeping through neighborhoods, suggest a level of coordination that authorities say points to a structured criminal enterprise rather than isolated incidents.
For pet owners in the affected neighborhoods, the arrests may bring some measure of relief, though the fate of many stolen animals remains unknown. The return of only 13 cats to their owners underscores the difficulty of reuniting stolen pets with their families once they have entered the meat supply chain.
Animal welfare advocates have long argued that the dog and cat meat trade poses not only ethical concerns but also public health risks, including the potential for disease transmission. These arguments have gained traction in recent years as Vietnam's middle class expands and pet ownership becomes more common in urban areas.
The investigation remains ongoing. Police have not indicated whether additional arrests are expected or whether the network extended beyond Ho Chi Minh City. The suspects face potential theft charges, though formal charges have not yet been announced.
The case also raises questions about enforcement of existing animal protection laws in Vietnam, where regulations concerning the treatment of companion animals remain limited compared to many other countries. While theft of pets is prosecutable as a property crime, the sale and consumption of dog and cat meat itself is not broadly prohibited at the national level.
For now, the 12 men remain in custody as authorities continue to build their case. The nonprofit group caring for the rescued cats is working to identify owners, offering a small reprieve for animals caught up in an operation that investigators say spanned the city's residential streets night after night.
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