Each year, over six million dogs and cats are cruelly killed for their meat in Vietnam. Most of these animals are stolen pets or community and stray animals captured from the streets to supply the dog and cat meat trade. Citizens of Vietnam have long stood against this brutal trade; in a 2021 survey conducted by FOUR PAWS, 91% of respondents said the trade should be banned or discouraged and 95% indicated that this was not part of Vietnamese culture.

This abridged personal account and images, shared by photographer Tyler Henthorn, offer a harrowing glimpse into the suffering caused by the trade and its devastating impact on the beloved animals and their carers.

In Ho Chi Minh City, it is often said that a cat has many owners, as they thrive on the care and attention of nearby humans. Among the street cats, two black-and-white sisters, Mia and Nhí, stood out to Tyler for their friendliness. Closely bonded, they were always seen together, lounging on the concrete in the evenings and watching the passersby. Soft meows at the doors seemed to say “hello.” They occasionally wandered into homes, climbing the stairs to follow the sounds of resident cats. It often felt as though they were seeking adoption, but for some, taking in more was not an option—six was already a full house.

Mia was missing one day, and at first, Tyler assumed she had wandered off to mate. Sterilising the cats had been discussed before, but not everyone on the street agreed with the idea, a decision now regretted. A neighbour later suggested Mia had been stolen and showed security footage as evidence.

The horrifying video revealed a man on a bicycle with large bags for collecting recyclables. He left a baited trap outside a neighbour’s door, and moments later, Mia approached to investigate. The trap caught her by the neck with a bungee cable, tightening as she struggled to escape. After a frantic effort, she gave up and lay on the concrete for hours. The man returned, lifting her by the noose as she writhed in panic. Without hesitation, he placed her in a woven plastic bag, tied it tightly, and loaded her onto his bike before riding away.

Tyler’s search for Mia began that night. He spent hours outside, hoping to confront the thief, but instead encountered an older man retrieving a metal trap. When asked what he was doing, the man calmly replied “trapping cats.” Tyler took the trap, snapped a photo of the man holding it, and showed him the video of Mia being stolen. The man’s demeanour shifted as he realised the depth of Tyler’s grief.

Through the rescue community, Tyler learned of ‘The List’ - a directory of markets, slaughterhouses, and restaurants known for keeping live cats and dogs. ‘The List’ was often incomplete and vague, with locations described only through cryptic directions like “under a specific bridge” or “ask a bicycle taxi driver.” Some ‘markets’ were mobile trailers filled with cages, baking under the sun along noisy highways.

Tyler’s search led him to a tiểu hồ restaurant notorious for slaughtering live cats. A rusted cage in the dirt held cats, some with collars and severe burns. Tyler asked about Mia but was told to buy food instead. He left photos of Mia and an offer of reward, but hope was fading.

At another site, cages stacked high held animals injured from traps. Pleas for help were met with cold refusal. When Tyler begged on the ground, clutching Mia’s photo, he was mocked. A woman discarded the picture in front of him. The harsh reality set in: Mia was likely dead or suffering like the others. Determined to expose the cruelty, Tyler enlisted two assistants to document the horrors. They revisited slaughterhouses armed with cameras and recorders.

In one warehouse, the brutality was overwhelming. Men hammered animals into unconsciousness before boiling them alive. A mother cat sat motionless in her cage while her kittens played, unaware of their grim fate. Nearby, flames consumed another cat, set alight with sugarcane waste. Tyler crouched by a cage holding a cat with a frayed collar and whispered, “I'm sorry. I love you.”

The sights that Tyler witnessed highlight the horrific reality that millions of animals face in Vietnam every year, yet his commitment to finding Mia allows us to shed light on the painful emotional impact the trade has on these animals’ carers.

Mia, I wish I could tell you how sorry I am. I wish you knew how much you have affected me. You loved humans. You trusted them and accepted their gifts. I searched all over the city for you. I am filled with suffocating regret knowing that I could have protected you. I am so sad that I can’t sleep.

Your family is living happily indoors. I wish you could see how clean and fat they are now. Your sister Nhí talks all day and sleeps on my desk while I work. She loves being picked up and held. Your aunt and cousins live together with our neighbours. When it rains, your mother sits at the window overlooking where you used to live. They are so lucky.

Rest in peace, Mia.

Tyler Henthorn is a photographer, engineer and musician living in Ho Chi Minh City since 2018. Alongside his wife, they have 12 rescue cats.