Vietnam police seize 400 cats, arrest 9 in pet-theft ring
What's new: About 40 cats were returned to owners, but welfare groups said roughly 100 died after being held in harsh conditions.
Vietnamese police recovered more than 400 live cats and about 80 dead ones after breaking up an alleged pet-theft ring in Ho Chi Minh City and Tay Ninh province, with nine people detained. Investigators traced the group on June 11 after a wave of missing-pet cases in Ho Chi Minh City, local media reported. Police said suspects admitted trapping and collecting cats across southern Vietnam for the past three years, then moving them to holding sites before selling them to traders every two to three days. Humane World for Animals and Vietnam Cat Welfare said about 40 rescued cats have been reunited with their families, while many others were still receiving treatment and being kept as evidence as the investigation continues.