大咖福利影院

Hi everyone,

Hello, Teacher On Duty.

I'm considering relocating to Hanoi and would love to bring my dog with me. However, I'm a bit concerned about safety鈥攅specially after hearing stories about pet theft and the risk of dogs being stolen and sold.

I completely understand your wishing to bring your dog.

Dog theft can be a very real concern, moreso in the northern region of the country (including Hanoi). On a ~1 hour ride from Hanoi up to Thai Nguyen City, there'll be literally dozens upon dozens of "Th峄媡 Ch贸" (dog meat) restaurant signs along the route. Dog meat consumption is much more prevalent in the north. The only dog meat restaurants which I know of in the south (Saigon, Mekong area, Phu Quoc) are all owned by northerners.

Does anyone have personal experience with keeping a dog as a pet in Hanoi?

In Thai Nguyen yes (sadly). I have some friends (Vietnamese) in Hanoi who are dog owners. They've not had any trouble, due mainly to constant vigilance. The dogs are always leashed, never left unattended (even in their gated/locked front yard) unless the dog is locked inside their home, and when seated at a cafe the owners are never more than a few feet from where the dog is tied.

Are incidents of dog theft really common?

Yes.

Dog meat is not inexpensive, and the vendors are more than willing to sell at a profit.

The thieves are paid well, by local standards. It is a dangerous profession, hence the higher pay. It is also illegal.

Are there safer neighborhoods where dogs are more protected?

In Hanoi I would think there would be, though I haven't looked into it. Hanoi is a very cosmopolitan city, the populace being influenced by western values, so it wouldn't be odd to hear of there being "dog parks".

The younger people I know in Hanoi take a negative view on the consumption of dog meat, many of whom are first-generation dog (as a pet) owners themselves. Once they'd formed a bond with a dog of their very own, as an actual pet, some seem to have experienced an epiphany, their appreciation of "the dog" dramatically changed. Nice to witness.

Please let the forum know when/if you learn of any safe-zones for dogs in Hanoi.

How do locals generally react to dogs?

Mostly with indifference. Dogs are everywhere here.

Are there safe parks or spaces where dogs can be walked?

The difficulty I've had walking a leashed dog is the constant challenges from unleashed dogs encountered along the route. Being fiercely territorial, dogs really don't appreciate encroachment by my tag-along stranger peeing on their fence/tree/motorbike/etc. When walking any of my dogs (leashed), I hold the leash in one hand and a heavy stick in the other. Not exactly a stress free stroll.

Any advice, insights, or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance! - @Teacher On Duty

Take a moment to read through the short thread titled, "Bringing Pets to Vietnam"

Also, see our guide "Moving to Vietnam with your pet"

Hope that helps. Me? I'd bring my dog.

Off topic, but I did a short write-up of the rescue/adoption of my little friend a little over 2 years ago. He's still going strong.(post #18)

I was waiting to see if anyone else was going to respond specifically from Hanoi but I can chime in based on my experience living in Saigon. I brought my dog when she was 14 years old. I knew it was the end of her life and I wanted her with me at all times. She meant the world to me.

Are incidents of dog theft really common?

Im not familiar with Hanoi but overall in the country YES and be very careful. My brother in law has had so many dogs stolen now. He lives in Dak Mil but its widespread across the country. His dogs are stolen typically by breaking into his house even in the middle of the night while he is sleeping. I live in Saigon and we see missing dog posters all the time saying their dog was stolen and to contact if found. Its avoidable by keeping your dog with you at all times and on a leash at all times. Most dogs that are stolen are not leashed or running free on their own.

Are there safer neighborhoods where dogs are more protected?

Im not familiar with Hanoi enough. Ive heard of dog parks in D7 in Saigon.

How do locals generally react to dogs?

Either they dont pay any mind to the dog or they get scared. Large dogs on a leash that are not a golden retreiver are viewed as very weird. My dog was a lab/rhodesian mix and people stepped away or got scared within a few meters of her. Only children seemed to be curious or nice to her.

Are there safe parks or spaces where dogs can be walked?

Parks are not for dogs in Vietnam. From my experience dogs are not allowed in public parks unless they are small and have a muzzle. They are not allowed on the grass at all. If they poop its likely security will yell at you even if you clean it up.

Here are a few tips I learned during the process.

#1 I would highly recomend a trusted agent for the import process. We 100% did everything perfect and even had a stamped seal of approval from all the agencies in VN ahead of time. Even with all that we were held at the airport saying our documents were wrong (they were not) and didnt have the right stamp (they did). They threatened to confiscate my dog. Thank god I had my wife who doesnt take crap from anyone and refuses to back down. She started calling the animal import office calling this guy out y name and he backed down. I know the guys probably just wanted some money and wasnt use to arguing back. An agent will know all the ins and outs of what you need. I wouldnt recomend doing it yourself as it puts your dogs life at risk. This is just one of many examples but your vet signing the health certificate in black ink instead of blue ink could be grounds for not accepting your dog into the country.

#2 train your dog to use wee pads if possible and get an apartment with a decent balcony. At 14 years old my dog was trained to use the bathroom only on grass areas and I had to train her for months ahead of time to use a fake grass potty box. That way when we got to Vietnam she understood the mission and could go on the porch and use the turf. There are no good places to walk your dog to use the bathroom outside. My dog refused to use the bathroom on the sidewalk or hard surfaces but she wasnt allowed to use the bathroom on grass or anything landscaped.

#3 Pet rules in apartments can change instantly. Ive heard of other expats claiming their apartment went from dog friendly to not allowing dogs giving them only a week to find a solution. In my opinion its easier with apartments that are international developers and not Vietnamese developers. Around here Masteri and Nova and Vinhomes are notoriously anti pet and change rules in an instant where as some of the singaporian apartments and others are much more dog friendly.

#4 getting around town in a car will be tough. Grab and Xanh do not allow pets. Taxi's however will allow pets in the car if you call ahead of time and book it. May cost just a little more.

My dog passed away of old age about a year after bringing her here. Luckily in Vietnam you can get the best food and best vet care for pennys on the dollar compared to where I am from in the US. She lived a good life while she was here. We were able to get in house vet visits including medicine and IV for her in her old age for just $30 USD a visit. It was a gift to be able to provide her that care.

Good luck.

Great feedback so far.

I believe it's worth noting that Vietnam was a dog consuming culture long before the arrival of foreigners. I may be wrong, because I don't know how dogs first got to Vietnam.

But foreigners began regularly importing much higher pedigree dogs, probably at least 10 years ago if not longer.

In addition to healthier dogs probably being more appetizing to the dog consuming public here, it's now become quite fashionable for many Vietnamese women to own a show dog or two, and Vietnamese men are very happy to have a pitbull or Doberman or some similar breed for security or simply a sign of their machismo.

I think anyone who truly loves their dog and unselfishly wants the very best for their dog聽 should think long and hard about what they are going to put that animal through.

Just the trip to Vietnam has got to be extremely stressful for any dog.

Then, the greater the value of the dog, the more it's life will now be restricted. No more running around in Open Fields or chasing rabbits.

Dogs that have never been chained before in their lives are not going to be thrilled about suddenly being "punished" in that manner (I have seen the dogs looking dejected and miserable when they are forced to be restrained in that manner for their own safety).

Then of course there's the fact that Vietnam has far too many instances of rabies being reported daily.

I personally think that the most humanitarian action would be two-fold: find a loving and caring home for the dog before leaving your native country, then rescue one of the many, many dogs in local shelters run by foreigners.

As an aside, but part of my reasoning: in the last year I've seen four different notices of huge rewards for stolen dogs on Face.book, one as much as 鈧�20,000,000 VN膼 in H峄檌 An.

None of those dogs has ever been returned.

So the locals aren't just stealing and eating dogs. They are taking the higher quality dogs for themselves or to sell to upwardly mobile Vietnamese who can afford them.

Thank you for your responses, I've almost accepted job offer from Hanoi. Yes, it was a dream job, but my dog is part of my family. Hard decision, but...

Thank you for your responses, I've almost accepted job offer from Hanoi. Yes, it was a dream job, but my dog is part of my family. Hard decision, but... - @Teacher On Duty

"Hard decision, but..."听

Okay, I'll bite. But... what?

My dog is a family member.

My dog is a family member. - @Teacher On Duty

Understood, as are my dogs to me. They're not just family members, they're also my friends.

What I was wondering was whether you'd decided to bring your dog, or to reject the job offer. Like you, I'd not be able to abandon any of my dogs.

A tangential point- in My An ,Da Nang, there are many corgis for some reason. They're everywhere.

A tangential point- in My An ,Da Nang, there are many corgis for some reason. They're everywhere. - @It2VN

Interesting. Are you able to say whether they are foreign owned, or by locals?

Most or all of the ones I've seen are with locals.

Most or all of the ones I've seen are with locals. - @It2VN

I agree. It's a very popular breed among Vietnamese women here in 膼脿 N岷祅g

It can also depend on whether the dog is purebred or simply beautiful. In Phu Quoc, my owners' dog, which was very cute, was tasered and stolen for resale.

It can also depend on whether the dog is purebred or simply beautiful. In Phu Quoc, my owners' dog, which was very cute, was tasered and stolen for resale. - @Olibrius

You have an owner?馃槈

Kidding aside, I had my own experience here in Phu Quoc with a lost dog. See posts #48 and #49, here.

@Teacher On Duty

Don't know if this helps or not but I went to a restaurant last night and thought I had stake but I had the sudden urge to pee on fire hydrants and chase the postman