VNExpress-July 4
Duc Hung’s family spent a whole night in June debating whether or not to eat their 12-kilogram pet dog. They were preparing a homecoming celebration for a relative who’d been living abroad, and Hung wanted to serve dog meat, a local specialty from his hometown of Hai Phong, to mark the special occasion. After some debate, the family chose to vote for the final decision. Twelve out of the whole family of 20 people voted “no,” and the 47-year-old felt bitter and resentful. He argued that Hai Phong dog meat is famous and attracts people from all over Vietnam to try local eateries. But 12 of his relatives thought otherwise. They claimed dog meat should be abandoned, as the dish contained too much protein, which often causes people to suffer from diseases such as gout and high cholesterol. Many also said that dogs are friends of families and that eating them is a cruel act. “Without dog meat at the party, the idea became less attractive,” Hung said. Quoc Dat, 47 and from Hanoi’s Me Linh District, quit eating dog meat nearly ten years ago. He and his friends used to eat dog and cat meat every month to “get rid of bad luck.” Every time he visited his hometown in the northern province of Hung Yen, he would enjoy dog meat with his neighbors because he felt “tired of eating chicken and duck.” But now many of Dat’s friends have become resistant towards eating dog meat and his wife and children are also against the idea. People in his hometown have also started eating less of the dish.The number of Vietnamese people shying away from dog meat just like Dat is increasing. Dog meat shops around the country have slowly been going out of business. The Hanoi Department of Animal Health reported in 2018 that the number of dog and cat meat shops in Hanoi had dropped from around 1,100 to around 800 after authorities’ encouragement. Read more at:
https://e.vnexpress.net/news/trend/vietnamese-people-turning-their-backs-on-dog-meat-4624746.html
