How to Help End the Dog and Cat Meat Trade

FOUR PAWS documents the trade in Indonesia, Cambodia and Vietnam and identifies pet theft, demand reduction and stronger enforcement as parts of the problem. Rescue and care for affected animals must sit alongside work that reduces future harm.

This appeal seeks support for intended grants in Southeast Asia. The needs of a particular location, recipient or group of animals would be established through assessment. A country guide or report about another organisation’s work is not a record of WARN funding.

The law, enforcement responsibilities and available care differ between countries and localities. We do not present a broad national legal summary as permission for anyone to seize animals. Relevant rules and permissions must be checked for the actual proposal.

Local reform efforts should involve affected communities and people already working on animal welfare. The aim is to reduce suffering and demand without treating entire nationalities or cultures as responsible for the conduct documented in an investigation.

WHO identifies bites and scratches involving infected animals as important routes of rabies exposure. Anyone who may have been exposed needs prompt professional medical assessment. A funding appeal cannot determine whether an animal or person has rabies.

This page does not claim that all animals in the trade are infected or that a new pandemic is inevitable. Veterinary and public-health decisions should be based on actual risk assessments and appropriate professional guidance.

Our newsroom includes reporting on the Vietnam cat trade and the June 2026 recovery of stolen cats. Those stories provide context and links to their reporting sources. They should not be read as WARN rescue or grant announcements.

For funding evidence, use the grant register and published reports. A useful report should explain custody, care, expenditure and outcomes without disclosing sensitive personal information or compromising an investigation.