Eatery closes, apologizes for drowning up to 300 cats monthly

By Linh Le December 30, 2023 | 02:14 am PT

The owner of a cat meat restaurant notorious for slaughtering up to 300 cats monthly in the northern province of Thai Nguyen has apologized and permanently closed his business.

A cat behind a fence. Illustration photo by Freepik

Pham Quoc Doanh, the 37-year-old eatery’s owner, expressed deep remorse for his actions, acknowledging that many of the cats were stolen beloved pets, as he told Metro.

"But I needed the money," he admitted, adding that he had served other dishes in his eatery before, but those had not made as much profit as cat meat.

The method of slaughtering involved drowning each cat individually and holding them down with a stick, a practice that Doanh now deeply regrets.

His feeling of guilt motivated him to reach out to the Human Society International (HSI), which offers financial incentives to restaurants that cease the sale of cat and dog meat. With their help, he completely shut down his business this December.

Doanh now plans to open a grocery store, a decision supported and facilitated by HSI. He said he feels more peaceful and happy about not killing any more animals in the future, according to Business Insider.

HSI’s initiative has also led to the closure of two dog meat restaurants in Thai Nguyen, signaling a broader movement against cat and dog meat consumption in Vietnam.

Organizations like Four Paws and Change For Animals Foundation point out the harsh reality that over 1 million stray and pet cats are killed annually in Vietnam for meat. Some restaurants even buy animals from cat thieves, as noted by Dr. Katherine Polak, veterinarian and Head of Stray Animal Care at Four Paws in Southeast Asia.