Asian Countries Crack Down on Commercial Dog Trade

Recently, government officials from Thailand, Cambodia, Loas, and Vietnam congregated in Hanoi to meet with the Asia Canine Protection Alliance to discuss the commercial trade of dogs that are used as meat. The national representatives agreed that it was imperative to put a stop to the dog trade as a way to curb the spread of rabies. “We cannot change culture or habit, but we should stop the smuggling of dogs,” said Pornpitak Panlar of the Ministry of Public Health, according to The Nation. “This meeting was important to urge government agencies to see the problems caused by the dog meat trade.” The meeting’s attendees agreed to institute a five-year canine trade prohibition to see how it affects the rates of the infectious disease in the Asian territories.