Gia Bảo, a Vietnamese restaurant notorious for serving cat meat, has shuttered its doors this month after the owner, Pham Quoc Doanh, expressed moral concerns about the practice. The Humane Society International (HSI) announced the closure, highlighting Doanh's dramatic removal of the cat meat sign that once advertised the controversial dish as "thịt mèo."
Doanh's decision to close the restaurant came in early December, as he tore down the sign outside his establishment in the Thịnh Đán ward of Thái Nguyên. This brave act not only put an end to the slaughter of up to 300 cats a month but also led to the release of 20 cats and kittens, previously destined for a tragic fate, now available for local adoption.
The father of two, Pham Quoc Doanh, revealed that he never intended to sell cat meat, a relatively popular dish in Vietnam. Financial struggles compelled him to enter the market, stating to Metro, "Before selling cat meat at this restaurant, I served other normal food and drinks. However, the income was not enough to cover the living cost of my family."
The grim reality of 1 million cats, mostly stolen pets and strays, being killed for meat annually in Vietnam is a distressing statistic noted by the HSI.
Doanh, in an interview with Metro, confessed to the cruel method of drowning the cats by holding them down with a stick in a bucket of water. Overwhelmed by remorse, he reached out to the HSI for help. As part of the organization's Models for Change program, Doanh received a one-time grant to close his restaurant and establish a grocery store instead, marking a shift away from the brutal cat meat trade.
"I want to see a ban on the dog and cat meat trade in Vietnam," Doanh emphasized, expressing his desire to leave behind the crime-fuelled trade that has caused immense suffering to animals.
The rescued cats were taken to a specially designed shelter at Thai Nguyen University of Agriculture and Forestry, where they received vaccinations against rabies before being put up for adoption.
Quang Nguyen, the Humane Society International's Vietnam companion animals and engagement program manager, expressed joy over closing down the first cat meat trade business in Vietnam. He hopes this will be the first of many, as individuals like Doanh turn away from this cruel trade.
The cat meat industry's elusive nature, due to the animals not being considered livestock, complicates tracking, as farmers are not required to register data about them, according to Metro.
Doanh, now free from the burden of the cat slaughter business, looks forward to a more peaceful and confident future without harming animals. He plans to supply various products, including drinks, tobacco, sweets, and dry food, ensuring a livelihood for his family without contributing to the brutal trade he has abandoned.
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