Vietnam lead in dog swoop

Thai sailors have rescued more than 750 dogs destined for cooking pots in Vietnam.

A Thai navy patrol caught a gang of dog smugglers early yesterday on the shore of the Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom province. They had at least 750 dogs in small rusty cages on a truck near the ferry, ready to ferry them over to Laos.

Captain Thirakiat Thongaram said the dogs were bound for Vietnam, where dog meat is a delicacy. One Thai man was arrested and charged with illegal transportation of animals, while the other smugglers escaped.

The rescued dogs are to be sent to a local shelter.