Cape Town – The Vietnamese city of Hoi An in Quang Nam province has recently signed an agreement of cooperation committing to eliminating dog and cat meat from the city, a move which is seen as an historic agreement to protect animals in the south-east Asian country.
According to Vietnamese online news publication Dan Viet, over the past few years, the People's Committee of Hoi An City in Quang Nam Province has worked with Four Paws, a global animal welfare organisation, to develop this agreement.
Lexie Gray, Paws for Compassion co-founder and animal advocate told African News Agency on Friday: “This is an incredible first step towards ending the dog and cat meat trade in Vietnam beginning with Hoi an. It's a huge victory for the animals and we're very excited about all the love and support being voiced across Vietnam.”
Furthermore, Emma Bolton, founder of the Vietnam Cat Welfare said one of the main reasons I began Vietnam Cat Welfare was due to the cat and dog meat trade and the horrors she has witnessed over the years.
“We are so enthusiastic and inspired by this new partnership with the Hoi An government, which will not only fight for an end of the cat and dog meat trade but spread awareness and education on general animal welfare as well.
“It's a huge step that we are all excited about and look forward to such a positive change for this beautiful city and country,” Bolton said in an exclusive interview with African News Agency.
According to reports, the agreement will come into effect at the end of 2021 and last for two years.
Local media reported that, in addition, the agreement emphasises the goal of improving animal welfare through vaccination programmes and the elimination of rabies, helping to prevent the threat of a pandemic outbreak, writes Dan Viet.
African News Agency (ANA)