Dog meat consumption in Vietnam facts for kids
Dog meat, also known as Thịt chó in Vietnamese, is eaten in some parts of Asia, including South Korea, Vietnam, and China.
A report from February 2020 by FOUR PAWS, an animal welfare group, shared that about 5 million dogs are killed for their meat each year in Southeast Asia. It's important to know that only a small number of people in these countries take part in this practice.
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Dogs in Ancient Vietnam
There isn't much old information in English about when dogs first became pets in Vietnam. However, a study in 2012 found early signs of dogs living with people around 2100 BC. This was at an ancient village called An Son in southern Vietnam.
Scientists believe that the people living there had both dogs and pigs as domestic animals. In northern Vietnam, some dog bones were also found at a site called Man Bac. These bones had cut marks, which suggests that dogs were a source of food for these early communities, much like pigs. More dog bones were found than pig bones. There was no sign that dogs were given special burials, which might mean people didn't have strong emotional ties to them back then.
Dogs and Vietnamese Culture
Cultural beliefs about dogs are often linked to their role in homes and the feelings people have for them. These beliefs also shape whether people eat dog meat.
Dogs as Protectors and Symbols
Dogs have traditionally been used to guard homes. However, they were often seen as having a low status. An old poem from the early 1800s, "The Quarrel of the Six Beasts", shows this. In the poem, animals argue about who is most useful. The dog says it sometimes gets "crumbs of rice and dregs of soup" but often eats "rotten taro and wormy yam." Even in 2019, about 9% of people in Vietnam still fed their dogs leftovers.
Over time, the idea of dogs as protectors led to people honoring them. Vietnamese people believed that placing stone dogs in front of temples and houses could scare away ghosts and evil spirits. For example, in Hanoi, dogs were honored at the Puppy Temple, which might be as old as 1010.
Honoring dogs is also common among some ethnic groups. The Tay people might put a stone dog in front of their house to balance bad Feng Shui. They believe dog sculptures bring good luck. These stone dogs are also linked to a sacred creature called nghê, which is like a lion cub. For the Dao people in the mountains, they believe they are descendants of a dog god named Panhu. Because of this, eating dog meat is forbidden in their culture.
Good Luck and Bad Luck Beliefs
For other Vietnamese people, the special power of dogs made dog meat a unique dish for certain events. Eating dog meat after something bad happened was thought to "kick" away bad luck and help people live longer. This dish became a tradition at funerals, death anniversaries, or weddings. Dogs were also sometimes sacrificed in rituals in the north to honor ancestors or to bring rain.
Beyond these special times, the timing for eating dog meat is also tied to strong beliefs. Dog meat is usually eaten at the end of the lunar month or lunar year. Eating it at the wrong time was believed to bring bad luck. This might be connected to a Vietnamese folktale about a white dog with a red nose that was actually a demon. The demon would turn back into its true form during the full moon, which is in the middle of the lunar month.
Changes in Dog Meat Consumption
Growing Interest in Special Meats
After the 1997 Asian financial crisis in 1997, Vietnam's economy started growing quickly again around 2004. More foreign money was invested in the country.
As people had more money, their desire for dog meat and other unique meats grew, along with their general meat consumption. This trend was seen in Hoi An, where dog meat restaurants became more popular. In 1999, there were only a couple of places serving dog meat. By 2004, there were "dozens of eating venues." Also, these restaurants became more visible. In 1999, they were often hidden in "alleys" or "outside the town." Instead of using the clear sign "Thịt Chó" (dog meat), they used a less obvious phrase like "Thịt Cầy." By 2004, more restaurants openly displayed "Thịt Chó."
Eating dog meat and wild meat were connected, as both were seen as special. The increased interest in wild meat was also linked to business deals. Rich people might serve expensive wild meat to show their high social status. Others served it to guests to show respect in business partnerships. This kind of "diplomacy" was thought to help business success. So, eating wild meat became a social custom tied to business culture.
A similar way of showing respect is seen in South Korea. There, someone might offer meat from their own pet dog to impress an important guest.
The Rise of Pet Ownership
While some argue that economic growth led to more demand for dog meat, it also brought a demand for dogs as companions, not just food.
Dr. Anthony, an animal behavior scientist, suggests that economic development also changed dog-eating traditions. The first commercial pet shop opened in Ho Chi Minh City in 2006. Within eight years, many more shops opened in different cities. Fancy grooming services also became available for pet owners.
Vietnamese pet businesses are often family-run and use cash, which makes it hard to study the industry. However, there is evidence that the pet market is growing. This change might be due to the growing idea of pets as companion animals. A journalist named Rosen interviewed a clinic owner in Vietnam who said pet owners are willing to spend more money on their pets.
Economic growth gave people more money and also led to more interaction with pets. This strengthened the bond between humans and animals. Dr. Anthony's information suggests that some people in the south of Vietnam support banning dog meat. It's also common for pet owners to choose not to eat dog meat.
Legal Status of Dog Meat
Because of these changes, Vietnamese pet owners and activists from other countries are pushing for a ban on dog meat. The SoiDog foundation is collecting signatures for a petition to the Communist Party of Vietnam to ban dog meat. The petition mentions China's progress in banning the trade of cat, dog, and wildlife meat. Besides emotional reasons, they also highlight public health concerns about diseases and how the trade affects Vietnam's image as a modern country.
In the late 1800s, when Vietnam was under French rule, killing and eating dog meat was actually banned. But after the French left, dog meat returned to the table.
Current laws offer some protection for pet owners against pet theft. In July 2016, a law was changed to allow people to be punished for stealing pets if it caused social problems. This meant that stealing even one dog could lead to jail time. Before this, criminals often stole dogs without much fear of punishment because dogs were considered to have too little financial value for a serious case.
More recently, in 2018, the director of Hanoi's Department of Animal Health said that people needed to be more aware of the risks of eating dog meat to discourage it. He also stated that the dog meat trade would be removed from Hanoi's central districts by 2021. In 2019, the Food Safety Management Board in Ho Chi Minh City also urged people to stop eating dog meat. However, no law has been passed yet to completely ban the dog meat trade.
Images for kids
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Signs for dog meat restaurants in Hanoi
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A dog as a companion
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A war dog in Vietnam, around 1970
