▁in ▁Th ailand , ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁So i ▁Dog ▁Foundation , ▁convinced ▁authorities ▁in ▁both ▁Th ailand ▁and ▁Vietnam ▁that ▁the ▁dog ▁meat ▁trade ▁was ▁a ▁h ind rance ▁to ▁efforts ▁to ▁tack le ▁ra b ies ▁in ▁S out heast ▁Asia . ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁Th ailand ▁introduced ▁a ▁new ▁law ▁against ▁animal ▁cruel ty , ▁which ▁greatly ▁increased ▁pen alt ies ▁faced ▁by ▁dog ▁sm ug gl ers . ▁The ▁trade ▁is ▁now ▁a ▁trick le , ▁with ▁no ▁major ▁criminal ▁organis ations ▁involved . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 9 , ▁dog ▁meat ▁was ▁found ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁main ▁car rier ▁of ▁the ▁V ib rio ▁ch ol era e ▁b acter ium , ▁which ▁caused ▁the ▁summer ▁ep ide mic ▁of ▁ch ol era ▁in ▁northern ▁Vietnam . ▁ ▁Prior ▁to ▁ 2 0 1 4 , ▁more ▁than ▁ 5 ▁million ▁dogs ▁were ▁killed ▁for ▁meat ▁every ▁year ▁in ▁Vietnam ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁Asia ▁Can ine ▁Prote ction ▁Alliance . ▁There ▁are ▁indic ations ▁that ▁the ▁desire ▁to ▁eat ▁dog ▁meat ▁in ▁Vietnam ▁is ▁w an ing . ▁Part ▁of ▁the ▁decl ine ▁is ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁due ▁to ▁an ▁increased ▁number ▁of ▁Vietnam ese ▁people ▁keeping ▁dogs ▁as ▁p ets , ▁as ▁their ▁in comes ▁have ▁ris en ▁in ▁the ▁past ▁few ▁dec ades . ▁"[ Pe ople ] ▁used ▁to ▁raise ▁dogs ▁to ▁guard ▁the ▁house , ▁and ▁when ▁they ▁needed ▁the ▁meat , ▁they ▁a te ▁it . ▁Now