Vietnam's tourist city has decided to ban the sale of cat and dog meat, the second most widely consumed meat after China.
According to the French news agency AFP, an estimated five million dogs are eaten each year in Vietnam, where some people believe that eating meat will keep them out of bad luck.Authorities in Hoi An, a world cultural site and historic commercial port, have signed an agreement with the international animal rights organization Four Poses, which reiterates a ban on the sale of cat and dog meat.
"We want the welfare of the animals and make the city a tourist destination," said Da Hung, the city's deputy mayor.
Julie Sanders, an official with the animal rights group Four Poses, said the move was a "turning point" that could set an example for other parts of Vietnam.
"I don't think anyone should ban dog meat," Van Wen Kaung, a resident of Hanai, the capital of Vietnam, told AFP. That is our culture. "
In 2018, Hon'ble authorities told citizens not to eat dog meat as it was affecting the capital's reputation and causing health problems.
