COVID-19 Infected Owner, but Over 10 Pet Dogs Euthanized in Vietnam Sparks Controversy

Confirmed Positive at Quarantine Station, Pet Cremated
Expert: "No Evidence Dogs Transmit COVID-19 to Humans"

A Vietnamese family riding together on a motorcycle with their pets. / Photo by Internet homepage capture

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Controversy has erupted after about 10 pets were 'culling' in a rural village in Vietnam. It was revealed that these dogs were killed because their owner was infected with COVID-19.

On the 11th (local time), according to local Vietnamese media VN Express, after five locals recently tested positive for COVID-19 at a quarantine station in Vietnam, local health authorities reportedly culled and incinerated 16 dogs and one cat that they had raised.

According to Vietnamese health authorities, the five people were all from one family. While working as bricklayers in Long An Province in the south, they decided to move to another region due to difficulties in making a living caused by the spread of COVID-19.

The family loaded all their pets onto one motorcycle and headed to C? Mau Province, the hometown of the brother-in-law's wife. It is known that the distance they traveled by motorcycle was about 300 km. They underwent specimen testing at a local quarantine station during their journey and were confirmed positive for COVID-19.

When this incident became known on social networking services (SNS), local netizens expressed anger, saying, "What crime did the animals commit?" and "This is too cruel." There were criticisms that culling pets simply because their owner was infected with a contagious disease is an excessively inhumane act.

In this regard, Professor Tuan Nguyen, who works at the University of Technology Sydney in Australia, criticized, "So far, there has been no scientific evidence that dogs transmit COVID-19 to humans," and called the culling "an unscientific measure."

Amid growing controversy, the People's Committee responsible for the area explained, "One of the pets brought by this family was infected with an unknown virus," and "The culling was carried out with the family's consent."