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On Aug. 17 pictures and videos showing a dog being beaten by its owner at Lam Vien Square were uploaded by a person on their social media account, and they quickly went viral, sparking outrage and prompting thousands of comments calling for a boycott of the business.
A video shared by a tourist captures the moment a dog owner mistreats his pet in Cau Duc alley, near Yersin Park in Da Lat, on Aug. 10, 2024.
Tran Thi Vu Loan, vice chairwoman of the city, said local authorities have instructed the police to investigate the incident and identify those responsible for the abuse.
"The city will take strict action against dog photography businesses that mistreat animals and is committed to ending this service."
Visitors paying to take photos with dogs has been a curious but common phenomenon for many years at tourist destinations like Lam Vien Square, Xuan Huong Lake and the Da Lat night market area.
At Lam Vien alone there are some 10 people with more than 30 dogs of various breeds like Alaskan malamutes, huskies and poodles, and tourists typically pay VND30,000-50,000 (US$1.20-2) for a photo session.
Following the public outcry dog owners were conspicuous by their absence from several public spots on Wednesday.
But some people are unhappy about talk of a ban.
Nga, 50, who has been providing dogs for photos at Lam Vien for four years, said this enhances the tourist experience and insisted she has "never abused a dog."
"This is the bread and butter of my whole family. Don’t judge everyone based on one person."
My, 40, expressed similar sentiments saying her family owns 10 dogs, which take turns to pose with tourists.
"Saying dogs have to take photos with tourists from morning to night is not true."
