A look at the shifting cultural status, the lingering shadow of the meat trade, and why local dogs remain cautious around strangers.
For the last two weeks, I’ve been traveling in Vietnam, just like I’ve done almost every year since the early 1990s—aside from the worst of the COVID years when the country was closed to foreigners. Now, I am sort of wrapping up my current journey in Saigon. One change that has really caught my eye during this trip is how much, and how quickly, the status and social position of dogs have improved.
Of course, seeing dogs mostly as ”meat on legs” was never as common in the South as it was in the North near China, but it used to be a reality here, too. Now, with a rising standard of living and a culture that is opening up to the world, dogs are increasingly seen as pets—loved, valued members of the family. In fact, it’s gotten to the point where you see quite a few overweight dogs running around, which is a problem people here don’t generally seem to understand yet. A chubby toy poodle looks cute, but it’s tough for people to realize that dogs develop the same health issues as humans when their food intake and physical activity are out of balance.
I read that about 5 million dogs are still slaughtered every year for human consumption, making Vietnam the world’s second-largest consumer of dog meat after China. But just like bullfighting in Hispanic countries, the practice is definitely losing its cultural foothold. A 2023 poll showed a massive drop in consumption rates in Vietnam, with only about 24% of respondents admitting to ever eating dog meat. Frequent consumption is even lower, dropping closer to 6% nationwide in some recent studies.
Like most major cultural changes, this shift is being driven by the younger generation. Vietnamese youth under 30 overwhelmingly view dogs as pets rather than food. Traditionally, eating dog meat (similar to eating monkey brains) was part of social drinking gatherings for older men. While drinking isn’t going anywhere, the generational shift is obvious. Times change, and the younger crowd is moving to new bars with new drinks, leaving the old rituals behind. The die-hard dog meat lovers are feeling the pressure to take their habits underground, but it feels like the final twitch of a dying tradition.
Right now, slaughtering or eating dog meat isn’t banned nationwide, but a ban is on the horizon sooner or later. It’s a constant debate in tourist hubs. Hoi An set a great example in 2021 by signing an agreement with Four Paws International to eliminate the dog and cat meat trade. This successfully made it the first city in Vietnam to phase it out entirely to promote ethical tourism. Besides, major cities like Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City have actively urged citizens to stop eating dog meat, and Hanoi recently issued a direct roadmap working toward a total phase-out.
Today, it’s already hard to find dog meat joints in the big cities. When you travel through the countryside, most of the dogs you see look well-fed. They roam free and form natural packs, hanging out and moving around with their canine buddies.
Honestly, I suspect these free-roaming country dogs in Vietnam might actually be happier than their counterparts in Western countries, where dogs live much more restricted lives. I haven’t seen a single clearly homeless dog on this entire trip. That’s a real novelty, I’d say. In the cities, when you see dogs roaming the streets and loitering around, you might think they are strays. But once you get to know the neighborhood, you realize which dog belongs to which house and see that they are actually being taken care of.
On the other hand, Vietnamese dogs are usually pretty cautious. They don’t approach strangers with the ease that dogs back home do. I think this stems from being frequently mistreated by people they don’t know. It makes sense, considering rabies is still a major issue in Vietnam. It’s simply not smart for anyone to allow unsolicited contact with an unknown dog, so people usually shoo them away if they try to approach.
Anyway, it is always a pleasure to be in Saigon (I’ve never really learned to call it Ho Chi Minh City, although I do respect Uncle Ho a lot as one of the greatest statesmen of the 20th century), and the countless puppies who “dog around” here are a huge part of its charm.
