Police in Thanh Hoa Province have detained three members of a dog thief gang and rescued 51 stolen dogs.
According to Straits Times, the gang has stolen thousands of dogs since the beginning of the year, based on a report by the area’s police department.
“This ring has operated for a long time, stealing many dogs and causing outrage among local people,” a local policeman said, according to the news source.
On Sunday evening, police detained gang leaders Le Thi Phuong, Tran Van Thang, and Lai Khac Hung, who have regularly used stun guns and bags to captured roaming dogs during night time raids.
In Vietnam, only theft of items with a value higher than US$86 is treated as a criminal offense. Dog thieves, therefore, often avoid being charged.
Earlier this week, food safety officials in Saigon urged locals to stop eating dog meat in an effort to improve the national image, which followed a similar move in Hanoi last year.
Last year, Hanoi officials considered using GPS tags as part of a campaign against dog meat and efforts to reduce pet theft in the city.
Vietnam's dog meat consumption has made it the target of animal welfare campaigns in the past, and the Asia Canine Protection Alliance estimates that five million of the animals are killed and eaten in the country every year.
