Motorbike Of Merry Mutts Challenges Vietnam’s Dogmeat Culture

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Retired hairdresser Nguyen Thi Kim Quy is an anomaly as she navigates Hanoi’s bustling streets in a pimped-out bike tuk-tuk, 13 multi-coloured rescue canine in tiny Christmas outfits yapping away fortunately inside.

An estimated 5 million canines are consumed yearly throughout Vietnam, the place dogmeat is taken into account a delicacy, however the Southeast Asian nation is attempting to section out consumption that’s second solely to China.

Quy, 71, has devoted her retirement to rescuing homeless pooches so they do not wind up on dinner plates — or overwhelmed — and spends a lot of her month-to-month stipend from her family on the trigger.

“It might be disastrous if they might be despatched to the slaughterhouse. I actually could not bear it,” she instructed AFP.

“Consuming canine or cat meat, for me, is against the law.”

She says the tradition is altering slowly and extra Vietnamese are adopting canine as pets and companions.

“I believe Hanoi residents have grow to be friendlier to pets, turning away from their behavior of contemplating dogmeat a delicacy,” she stated.

Quy wakes early to take the canine for a morning stroll and is usually nonetheless combing the streets befriending strays as night time falls.

Quy dyes the canine’ fur and clothes some up in Santa and reindeer costumes for festive cheer because the temperature drops over the winter months.

Her bike of mutts has grow to be a preferred sight on Hanoi’s streets, with many commuters stopping to pose for social media photographs.

“They’ve very brilliant smiles and generally they even give items to the canine…. they love these canine very a lot,” Quy stated.

She believes pets “carry peace, sweep away unhappiness and hardship”.

“To me, the canine is sort of a buddy, a real buddy,” Quy stated.

“If I might, I might give care to all of the deserted and abused canine.”