Mina’s story is highly indicative why animal legislation is crucial and must be adopted without delay. Her case is truly unbelievable. Mina belonged to a woman that had no understanding whatsoever of dog training or pet ownership; this 3-year-old pooch was allowed to roam freely in her yard and in the community and managed to annoy dozens of neighbours after going after their chickens and ducks; when the neighbours complained to Mina’s owner, the woman decided some form of punishment needed to take place: so the next they she peacefully grabbed a kitchen knife and used it to cut the dog’s paw; all of this while her husband filmed the entire scene (and seemingly agreed with her wife’s handling of the situation). The woman acted so calmly and natural, it is simply unbelievable how she managed to keep calm.
Mina was left without any medical attention for days and I can’t even start to image how it must have felt. The case received a lot of attention on social media and baffled animal rights activists managed to rescue Mina and take her to the Sasaki Animal Hospital in Saigon for treatment; Dr. Sasaki himself, one of Vietnam’s most prestigious veterinarians, performed surgery and had to amputate a large chunk of the dog’s leg. After weeks at the Sasaki clinic, Mina was transferred to the Kien Giang Animal Station and appeared to be doing very well; the scene was set so Mina could be adopted internationally and shipped abroad; but her previous owner had other ideas and started visiting the clinic on a regular basis, asking for her pet to be returned in her custody. Her neighbours, who previously were irritated by Mina’s presence, now supported her quest and claim the woman loves her pet dog very much. After weeks of insisting, Mina was finally returned to the woman! It is simply quite startling and I have no words to describe this situation.
Because there are no animal welfare laws in the country, this woman not only will not be held accountabe for her actions, but gets to do it all over again, anytime she choses, after being granted the right to take Mina back home.
We, the undersigned, are deeply distraught about this case and urge the central authorities in Vietnam to consider the implementation of the much-needed laws to protect animals, to prevent similar incidents from taking place in the future. Mina’s law must come into effect without further delay. I hope everyone can agree this is truly the case.
Thank you for your support and consideration. Below you will find attached a series of photos related to this case.
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