Three Vietnamese Dog Thieves Killed by Angry Citizens

Dog meat is relatively common in Vietnam, and when grilled is called thit cho nuong

Dog meat is offered widely in Vietnam where the meat is considered a delicatecy

by Vu Quoc Ngu, Oct 7, 2015

Angry owners and their neighbors in Vietnam’s Central Highlands province of Dak Lak have beaten to death three dog thieves, the Nong Thon Ngay Nay newspaper reported Wednesday.

The incident occurred in Ea Kao commune in Buon Ma Thuot city in the morning of Oct. 6 and the victims were Le Quoc Viet, 22, and Hoang Van Thai, 39, two local residents, the newspaper said without naming the third person of the band.

People also burned their motorbike.

The stealing of dogs and other domestic animals such as cats is rampant across Vietnam where people consider the animal meat a delicacy.

In many cases, the thieves are very aggressive, equipped with dangerous weapons and ready to attack people to escape. The state media reported some cases in which people were killed when they chased dog and cat thieves.

According to the current Vietnamese law, stealing dogs and cats is not a crime and the thieves cannot be punished for their acts, which often makes owners angry and find their own ways to deal with thieves.

A dozen of animal thieves have been beaten to death by residents in many localities, according to state media.

Meanwhile, foreign media reported that Taiwanese held a demonstration earlier this month to protest Vietnamese workers who stole their cats and dogs for meat.