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Trade ban appeal · Indonesia · Malaysia

End the Dog & Cat Meat Trade

Dogs and cats are stolen from families, transported in appalling conditions and sold for meat. Help WARN fund the rescue and advocacy that is slowly ending this trade.

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A dog and cat rescued from the meat trade

In brief

An estimated ten million dogs and cats are killed for meat across Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia each year — many of them stolen pets. WARN funds partner-led rescue, safe-house capacity and legal advocacy in Indonesia and Malaysia, its in-network focus countries. Your gift helps intercept animals before slaughter and push for trade bans where enforcement is weakest.

~10M

Dogs & cats killed for meat in Vietnam, Cambodia & Indonesia (est.)

>99%

Human rabies from dog bites — trade routes amplify risk (WHO)

2

WARN in-network focus countries: Indonesia & Malaysia

Stolen pets

Many trade animals are owned companions, not strays

Figures: open-source welfare investigations (2020); WHO rabies data. See Sources below.

The Scale of the Problem

An estimated ten million dogs and cats are killed for meat each year across Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia — many of them stolen pets, not strays. The trade is not subsistence; it is an organised commercial industry that profits from theft, extreme animal suffering and weak enforcement.

Animals are transported in inhumane conditions — crammed into wire cages, often without food or water for 18 hours or more — and killed in ways that fall far below any accepted humane-slaughter standard. The trade also poses serious public health risks: unvaccinated animals mixed at live markets are a recognised route for rabies and other zoonoses.

WARN is a registered global not-for-profit animal welfare organisation. It funds vetted local partners in Indonesia and Malaysia — its in-network focus — to support rescue operations, safe-house capacity and legal advocacy. Vietnam and Cambodia remain on this page as wider search context for the trade, not current partner-network countries.

What Does the Trade Look Like?

Five realities define the dog and cat meat trade. They overlap — stolen pets feed transport networks, and transport networks amplify disease risk.

Theft from families

Demand outstrips the stray supply in many areas, so collectors sweep pet dogs and cats from yards and village streets. Owners often watch their animals taken — the trade is organised crime, not subsistence.

Field investigations document stolen pets as a major supply source

Transport cruelty

Animals are crammed into wire cages on trucks and motorbikes, often without food or water for journeys of 18 hours or more — sometimes across national borders.

Documented transport conditions in open-source welfare investigations (2020)

Inhumane slaughter

Documented methods include drowning, hanging, beating and blowtorching — far below any accepted humane-slaughter standard and causing extreme suffering.

Practices documented in multi-country welfare investigations

Rabies & zoonotic risk

Unvaccinated dogs and cats of unknown origin are mixed at high density in live markets and backyard slaughter points — a recognised route for rabies and novel zoonoses.

WHO: dog-mediated transmission dominates human rabies worldwide

Weak or inconsistent law

Laws vary by country, province and city. Some municipalities have banned or committed to phase out the trade, but national enforcement remains patchy — and traffickers exploit the gaps.

Hanoi, Hoi An and Siem Reap among cities moving to end the trade

Where does the trade operate?

Dog and cat meat trade by region
Region / countryScale (est.)Legal status (overview)WARN scope
Vietnam~5M dogs & ~1M cats/yearNo national ban; some cities phasing outEducational context only — not WARN partner network
Cambodia~3M dogs/year; Phnom Penh hotspotPartial city commitments; weak national lawEducational context only
IndonesiaShare of ~10M regional totalGrowing advocacy pressure; enforcement inconsistentWARN in-network focus
MalaysiaSmaller documented tradeLegal pressure increasing; enforcement gaps remainWARN in-network focus
China & KoreaSeparate national tradesVaries by province and cityEducational context only

Scale estimates: open-source welfare investigations (2020). WARN operational scope: Indonesia and Malaysia only.

Dogs versus cats in the trade

Dogs versus cats in the meat trade
FactorDogsCats
Estimated regional share (VN/KH/ID)Majority of ~10M totalRoughly one million/year in Vietnam alone
Typical sourceStolen pets and straysStolen pets and community cats
TransportWire cages on trucks; long journeysOften smaller cages; same route networks
Public health riskRabies amplification in live marketsSame zoonotic concerns at slaughter points
Rescue needQuarantine, vaccination, behaviour supportQuarantine, FIV/FeLV testing, socialisation
Reform trendUrban youth turning away; city bans spreadingCat-meat trade less visible but growing concern

Quick facts about the trade

Quick reference facts about the dog and cat meat trade
Regional scale (est.) ~10 million dogs and cats slaughtered per year across Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia
Stolen pets Many animals are owned companions taken from yards — not strays
Transport duration Documented journeys of 18+ hours without food or water
Rabies link WHO: dogs cause >99% of human rabies; trade routes undermine control
WARN focus Indonesia and Malaysia — rescue, safe-houses and legal advocacy
What WARN does not do Fund work in Vietnam or Cambodia directly — those countries appear as educational context
Reform momentum Cities including Hanoi, Hoi An and Siem Reap have moved to end the trade locally
Attitudes shifting 2020 Hanoi survey: 44% of respondents said they would refuse dog meat in future

What Does WARN Fund?

WARN funds partner-led work in Indonesia and Malaysia — interception, safe-houses and the legal advocacy that turns seizures into lasting reform.

Rescue & interception

Funding partner operations with local authorities to seize transport vehicles and confiscate animals before slaughter.

Safe-house capacity

Secure, clean holding facilities for rescued dogs and cats — quarantine, vaccination and behaviour support before rehoming.

Legal advocacy

Supporting lawyers and NGOs in Indonesia and Malaysia pushing for formal trade bans and stronger enforcement.

Community behaviour change

Education and demand-reduction work so reform comes from affected communities, not outside pressure alone.

Choose Your Gift

Every donation funds partner-led rescue and advocacy in Indonesia and Malaysia.

£25

Emergency triage

Covers vaccination, wound care and food for one dog or cat rescued from a transport seizure.

£75

Safe-house week

Funds one week of shelter, quarantine and veterinary care for a confiscated animal.

£200

Interception support

Contributes to a partner interception operation — transport costs, vet standby and evidence collection.

Donate to End the Trade

WARN is a registered global not-for-profit animal welfare organisation, not a charity, so it cannot claim Gift Aid. The donation case is transparency: low fixed costs and partner-led delivery in the countries where help is needed.

From the WARN newsroom

Dog & Cat Meat Trade FAQ

Is the dog and cat meat trade legal?
Laws vary by country, province and city. Indonesia and Malaysia — WARN's in-network focus — have seen growing legal and advocacy pressure to end the trade, but enforcement remains inconsistent. Vietnam and Cambodia appear on this page as wider educational context; they are not current WARN partner-network countries. The trade is organised and commercial, not traditional subsistence.
How many dogs and cats are killed for meat each year?
Open-source welfare investigations published in 2020 estimate roughly ten million dogs and cats are slaughtered for meat each year across Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia alone — with Vietnam accounting for about five million dogs and one million cats, and Cambodia about three million dogs. Global figures including China and Korea are higher still, but those countries are outside WARN's operational network.
Are the animals in the trade stolen pets?
Many are. Field investigations show demand often outstrips the stray population, so collectors take pet dogs and cats from yards and village streets. In Vietnam, investigators have documented rising confrontations between pet owners and collectors. Stolen pets are a major — and often overlooked — part of the supply chain.
How does WARN help end the dog and cat meat trade?
WARN funds partner-led rescue operations, safe-house capacity for confiscated animals, and legal advocacy for formal trade bans in Indonesia and Malaysia. WARN is a registered global not-for-profit animal welfare organisation that channels donations to vetted in-country partners rather than running its own centres.
Why is the trade a public health concern?
Unvaccinated dogs and cats of unknown origin are mixed at high density in live markets and backyard slaughter points. WHO identifies dog-mediated transmission as the dominant pathway for human rabies worldwide, and epidemiologists recognise unregulated live-animal mixing as a route for rabies and novel zoonoses. Ending the trade supports both welfare and public health.
Where does WARN's dog and cat meat work happen?
WARN's current in-network focus is Indonesia and Malaysia. Vietnam, Cambodia, China and Korea appear on this page as educational and search context for the wider trade — they are not current WARN partner-network countries, and the programmes of other organisations are not WARN's work.
Can I donate specifically to this appeal?
Yes. Choose this appeal on the donate page or give an unrestricted gift that WARN can direct to the most urgent rescue need in its network. Monthly gifts help partners plan safe-house capacity and interception work year-round.
What happens to rescued dogs and cats?
Confiscated animals need quarantine, rabies risk assessment, wound care, vaccination, neutering and behaviour support before adoption or sanctuary placement. Many arrive traumatised but recoverable. WARN funds partner facilities that provide this care in Indonesia and Malaysia.
Is the trade ending anywhere?
Yes, in places. Cities including Hanoi, Hoi An and Siem Reap have publicly moved to end the trade within their boundaries, and younger urban residents are turning away from the practice. A 2020 Hanoi survey found 44% of respondents said they would refuse dog meat in future. Reform requires alternative-livelihood support for workers, not punitive measures on individuals alone.
How does my donation help?
Your gift funds partner-led interception, safe-house care and legal advocacy in Indonesia and Malaysia. WARN is a registered global not-for-profit animal welfare organisation, not a charity, so it cannot claim Gift Aid; the case for giving is transparency — low fixed costs and partner-led delivery where the trade is active.

Sources & references

Trade scale, transport conditions and public-health data on this page are drawn from intergovernmental sources and documented welfare investigations.