Hanoi moves to phase out dog meat trading for rabies prevention, sustainable livelihoods

The Hanoi Sub-Department of Livestock, Fisheries and Veterinary Medicine under the municipal Department of Agriculture and Environment, in coordination with Soi Dog Foundation and Vietnam Social and Behavior Change Communication for Sustainable Development Company (SBCC Vietnam), organized a training workshop on livelihood transition on Friday.

The event, themed ‘Gradually Transitioning Toward Sustainable Livelihoods: From Dog and Cat Meat Trading and Slaughtering to Sustainable, Safe and Civilized Occupations,’ was part of a project focusing on a pilot model for rabies prevention and sustainable economic development in 14 selected wards, approved by the Hanoi People’s Committee in 2025.

The project has achieved a number of positive results.

As many as 28 dog and cat meat slaughtering and trading facilities have ceased operations, while 25 facilities have registered to transition their business models, according to a review conducted by the People’s Committees of the participating wards and the project management board.

Notably, Giang Vo Ward has become the first of the 14 pilot wards in the capital to completely end the sale of dog and cat meat.

A baseline survey conducted before the project began had also found no dog and cat meat trading facilities in Cua Nam Ward.

However, Giang Vo is the first ward to achieve this result as an outcome of the project’s support activities, demonstrating the initial effectiveness of a model that combines state management, behavior change communication, and livelihood transition support.

Beyond the results recorded in Giang Vo Ward, the project has also seen positive changes in Tu Liem and Tay Mo, which previously had a relatively large number of dog and cat meat trading facilities.

Many facilities in these areas have either ceased operations or are progressively transitioning their business models.

Accompany residents through livelihood transition

The workshop, which built on three previous livelihood transition training conferences and three online selling skills workshops held earlier under the project, brought together representatives of state management agencies, experts in veterinary medicine, public health and sustainable economic development, and households currently engaged in the slaughtering and trading of dog and cat meat across the 14 pilot wards.

At the fourth training conference, the organizing board introduced additional hands-on vocational training programs in food processing and beverage preparation, further diversifying employment opportunities and giving participating households more options that match current market demand as they transition to new occupations.

The project’s early results show that combining stronger state management with livelihood transition support is the right direction, gradually changing public awareness and helping residents move into stable, sustainable occupations, according to Nguyen Dinh Dang, director of the Hanoi Sub-Department of Livestock, Fisheries and Veterinary Medicine.

Addressing the event, Dang shared that the sub-department would continue to work with local authorities, organizations and businesses to expand support activities, contributing to more effective rabies prevention and control, food safety assurance, animal disease control, and the development of civilized, sustainable livestock farming.

Representatives of Soi Dog Foundation and SBCC Vietnam reaffirmed their continued commitment to working with city agencies on vocational training, start-up support, market linkages, and ongoing support for households throughout their livelihood transition.

The gradual reduction of dog and cat meat slaughtering and trading not only creates conditions for households to transition to sustainable livelihoods, but also helps strengthen state management of veterinary medicine and food safety, advance rabies prevention and control, improve food traceability, reduce the risk of zoonotic disease transmission, and build a more civilized urban environment.