Vietnamese officials kill and burn nine puppies, seven dogs and a cat travelling with a man on a motorbike after their owners tested positive for COVID-19.

Many netizens have voiced their outrage at the decision as sources such as the Centres for Disease Control and Protection (CDC)state that the danger of pets transmitting the virus to humans is low.

Pham Minh Hung, 49, told local media that 13 of his dogs and three dogs and a cat belonging to his extended family were ‘destoryed’ by officials in the Van Thoi District in Vietnam’s Ca Mau Province on Friday, 8th October.

Hung, was working as a bricklayer in Long An but COVID-19 restrictions led to him being made redundant.

With no job keeping him and his family in Long An, he decided to drive back to his native Khanh Hung Commune in the Binh Duong Province.

Hung and his extended family took their pets with them as can be seen in the image of the dogs sat on the back of Hung’s motorbike in their raincoats.

Upon arrival at the Khanh Hung Commune, the family was quarantined tested for COVID-19, the two families (four adults, one child) all tested positive.

The families were transferred to the Tran Van Thoi General Hospital and their pets were confiscated by officials.

Tran Tan Cong, Chairman of the Tran Van Thoi District People’s Committee, confirmed yesterday, 10th October, that all nine puppies, seven dogs and the cat had been killed and their bodies burned.

The news site Vietname Brief reports that Cong said: “As per initial information, these two families returned to the quarantine facility with more than a dozen dogs and cats, of which one tested positive for an unknown virus. We are waiting for specific reports.”

He added: “Given that both people and animals were infected, the task force “discussed (the issue) with the owners and got their consent (for the animals to be killed).”

Netizens reacted furiously to the story accusing the officials of behaving cruelly whilst others cited scientific reports that claim pets cannot transmit the virus to humans.

The ability of dogs and cats to spread COVID-19 is not entirely clear but according to the CDC website the “the risk of animals spreading COVID-19 to people is considered to be low”.

Nguyen Duc Thanh, Office Chief of the Ca Mau People’s Committee, said that a specialized agency to coordinate with local authorities is being set up to review issues relating to the killing of pets.

Local media reports that officials claim the family consented to the killing of their pets but this has not been confirmed.

After being held up as a successes story for how it dealt with the initial wave of COVID-19 Vietnam is now struggling to contain the virus resulting in restrictions and checkpoints like the one Hung’s family passed through.