Every year an estimated three million dogs are brutally killed for trade and human consumption.
Phnom Penh, 22 March 2025 – Global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS has launched an urgent campaign to end the dog meat trade in the country, titled “This is not What Cambodians Want.” The campaign reflects the overwhelming desire (90%) of the Cambodian people to ban the dog meat trade, with shocking statistics about the cruelty of the trade and cultural dissonance of this practice. The initiative invites residents of Cambodia to take a stand and sign a letter asking the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF) to take decisive action.
"As someone who deeply cares about the welfare of dogs, it's heart-wrenching to witness the suffering caused by the dog meat trade in Cambodia. This campaign is not just about ending a cruel practice; it is about amplifying the voices of the vast majority of Cambodians who oppose it. The profound disconnect between the trade and the true cultural values of this great nation compels us to call for change. We stand with the people of Cambodia in urging swift legislative action to protect these animals and preserve the nation's cultural integrity," says Dr. Karanvir (Karan) Kukreja, Head of Companion Animal Campaigns in Southeast Asia.
The Shocking Reality: Cruelty and Public Health Risks
Every year, approximately three million dogs are captured, transported, and slaughtered for meat in Cambodia. Many of these dogs are stolen pets, subjected to brutal conditions and inhumane killing methods such as blowtorching, electrocution, and drowning. In addition to the severe animal cruelty, the trade poses serious public health risks, contributing to the spread of zoonotic diseases such as rabies.
A National Call for Change: Legally and Culturally
A survey conducted by FOUR PAWS shows that 90% of Cambodians support a ban on the trade. 86% of the respondents want the government to take action and 94% of Cambodians said that dog meat consumption is not part of Cambodian culture and therefore do not consume dog meat.
“Having seen the trade up close, I know this is not something most Cambodians would agree with or want as part of our beautiful country. The smells, the sights, the sounds – it is too cruel and not part of our culture. Cambodians are kind and friendly, and we have seen again and again that the majority of Cambodian people want an end to the trade. Let us leave the dog meat trade as part of our past, and work together for a kinder future,” says Bunchheang Born, Cambodia Campaigner.
How to Help: Take Action
FOUR PAWS is calling on Cambodians and animal lovers worldwide to help make a difference by signing the letter, sharing it with friends, family and broader networks and by following FOUR PAWS with reactions, comments and shares of posts on social media, to raise awareness and encourage others to also take action. The campaign “This is not What Cambodians Want” is running from March to September 2025, combining online and offline mobilisation efforts to reach pet and animal lovers, students and families across Cambodia. The collected letters and public comments will be compiled into a summary report and handed over to MAFF. later this year to highlight public demand for a ban.
Background
Every year, an estimated 30 million dogs and cats are captured, transported, and slaughtered for their meat in Cambodia, Vietnam and Indonesia. Most of these animals are stolen pets, community or stray animals that are taken from the streets to supply the trade. The sheer scale of the trade and the suffering involved makes it one of Asia's most severe companion animal welfare issues, if not the world. Each stage of the trade – sourcing, transporting, sale and slaughter – involves severe cruelty and lacks sanitary and protective practices for both animal and human health. This includes a) animals being snared off the street; b) being beaten into submission; c) crammed into cages and transported for hours (even days across borders); d) held in holding yards with minimal, if any food or water – frequently resulting in death before slaughter; e) being brutally slaughtered with methods against globally accepted animal welfare codes, including drowning, blowtorching, beating and electrocution, often in unsanitary conditions that risk the spread of zoonotic diseases.
In recent years, the public sentiment against the Cambodian dog meat trade has increased through FOUR PAWS’ activities, including raising awareness of the trade, educating pet owners, closing slaughterhouses, rescuing dogs, sharing news from other countries and political engagement. Greater public awareness and political commitment is still needed to push the Royal Government of Cambodia (RGC) to regulate and effectively enforce the ban on the trade.
This campaign is part of a long-term public mobilisation in Cambodia to show opposition to the dog meat trade and to raise public and government awareness of this trade. With growing opposition to the dog meat trade and a desire for change, FOUR PAWS urges the government to listen to people's concerns and ban this cruel trade once and for all.
FOUR PAWS is the global animal welfare organisation for animals under direct human influence, which reveals suffering, rescues animals in need and protects them. Founded in 1988 in Vienna by Heli Dungler and friends, the organisation advocates for a world where humans treat animals with respect, empathy and understanding. The sustainable campaigns and projects of FOUR PAWS focus on companion animals including stray dogs and cats, farm animals and wild animals – such as bears, big cats and orangutans – kept in inappropriate conditions as well as in disaster and conflict zones. With offices in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Kosovo, the Netherlands, Switzerland, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, the UK, the USA and Vietnam as well as sanctuaries for rescued animals in eleven countries, FOUR PAWS provides rapid help and long-term solutions. www.four-paws.org
