Police in Vietnam raided two suspected storage sites on 11 June, rescuing more than 400 live cats that had been gathered for slaughter and stopping a network that had stolen pets for the meat trade for three years.
The Humane World for Animals said the nine arrested suspects had been collecting cats across the south of Vietnam, moving them to holding facilities and selling them to traders every two to three days.
During the raids, officers recovered 400 live felines and 80 carcasses preserved on ice, and an additional 21 cats were seized at a separate facility.
About 40 of the rescued cats have been returned to their owners, while several others died after their ordeal. The welfare group supplied food and supplies for the animals still held by police as evidence while the case continues.
Authorities said the investigation is ongoing and urged residents who suspect their pets have been stolen to come forward to help identify recovered animals.
Data from the Humane World for Animals estimate that each year about five million dogs and one million cats are captured, stolen, trafficked and slaughtered for meat in Vietnam.
While the legal consumption of dog and cat meat remains common in Vietnam, campaigners report that attitudes are shifting, with younger generations and pet owners increasingly opposing the trade and backing bans on both dog and cat meat.
