Half a year after the global animal welfare organization, FOUR PAWS, became a member of the One Health Partnership (MSK) Framework for Zoonotic Disease Prevention (OHP), the Companion Animal Technical Working Group, with FOUR PAWS as the permanent international partner, held its first event today in Hanoi.
Co-chairing the meeting with FOUR PAWS was Mr. Pham Kim Dang, Deputy Director of the Department of Livestock Production, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD). In addition, the representative of the General Department of Animal Health and Livestock Production of Cambodia, Mr. Bengthay Tep, presented the reasons and benefits of the program to end the dog meat trade in Siem Reap city.
The meeting discussed the agreement of the Terms of Reference with some adjustments based on the comments of the Vietnamese authorities, FOUR PAWS and its members, as well as setting out the priority activities for the group in the coming year. Accordingly, FOUR PAWS supports the end of the trade, slaughter and consumption of dog and cat meat.
Overview of the event.
“We would like to thank the Government of Vietnam for accepting the proposal to establish a Companion Animal Technical Working Group with FOUR PAWS,” said Dr. Karan Kukreja, Head of Companion Animal Programme Southeast Asia at FOUR PAWS International. “With our expertise, we look forward to working with stakeholders to address some of the pressing issues related to companion animal disease within the One Health Framework.
This includes humane management of dog populations and the dog and cat meat trade, to make Vietnam a safer place for both people and dogs and cats, and to reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases. We are also particularly grateful for the presentation, and comments from the representative of Cambodia, for raising public health concerns and other benefits in ending the dog meat trade in Siem Reap.”
The One Health concept was first implemented in Vietnam in 2003 under the Partnership for Avian and Human Influenza (PAHI), later renamed OHP in 2016 and includes the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment and more than 30 Vietnamese and international organizations, working together strongly to reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases.
“This will be a forum for animal health and welfare stakeholders, including different economic sectors, to discuss and promote the implementation of activities to reduce physical and mental health risks from interactions with companion animals, including the dog and cat meat trade, and promote healthy interactions between people and companion animals, through training, education and communication on responsible pet ownership,” said Pham Kim Dang, Deputy Director of the Department of Livestock Production.
“We need to look up and look to our neighbors, such as South Korea and Cambodia, which have strict regulations on the illegal capture and slaughter of dogs and cats. There is no reason why Vietnam cannot do the same and learn from international advances in animal welfare in general and companion animals in particular,” Mr. Vu Thanh Liem - Head of the MSK Partnership Secretariat, emphasized .
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