Hanoi group takes care of abandoned cats and dogs

A group of people in Hanoi has established a house for abandoned dogs and cats.

Tran Minh Quang was warmly greeted by a big pack of dogs as he came to do the tidying up one early morning. Some others who were kept in cages just wagged their tails and loudly barked to welcome him. The house which lies on quiet farmland in Hanoi's suburban district of Thanh Oai became noisy.

Tran Minh Quang and the dogs he rescued

"They often make a lot of fuss," Quang said with a smile while rubbing the heads of some running to him. "We moved them to this new house a month ago after the old neighbours complained about them causing too much noise. This new house lies separate from residential areas so we don't have to worry about disturbing other people."

The new house covers over 10,000 square metres and is home to over 220 homeless or abandoned cats and dogs.

Quang, 38, is the co-founder of the cat and dog rescue group that run the home.

"We opened the house over a year ago after my home became too small for the rising number of dogs I rescued and brought home," Quang said. "Some of my friends joined me to find a proper house to take care of them. We rented a small house for them, which then also became too small after a year as the family kept growing."

Quang said that besides those who are staying here, over 50 others are being sent to vets for treatment.

The young man shared that they rent the new bigger home for VND 9 million per month. They also pay over VND 100 million a month to feed the animals. However medical costs are large.

"We sometimes receive financial help from donors, which is a great support for us," he said.

Another co-founder of the house, Do Thi Giang, monitors the health of the animals here. The 20-year-old woman said that she visited every day to check if any animal needs medical care and or vet treatment.

Do Thi Giang checks an ill dog

"Many of them have injuries or diseases before being brought here," Giang said. "Some were rescued from slaughterhouses, some were abandoned for a long time or beaten. They need constant care and treatment to recover."

Nguyen Minh Tri, 40, is one of the volunteers who work in shifts at the house. Their work includes cleaning and preparing food for the cats and dogs. They would also help provide exercises or medicine for ill animals and make reports about those that have health problems.

Nguyen Minh Tri helps a dog take some exercises

"Besides physical problems, almost all the animals have psychological issues so we need to be patient and gentle with them," Tri said. "But if you love them, you can do it."

The group have also launched a Facebook fan page to share their work and provide information about the cases. They also want to find new loving homes for the poor animals.