The case of the abused dog in Da Lat: Tourists outraged, boycotting photography services.

Regarding the incident of pet dogs being brutally abused by their owners in Da Lat, many tourists are upset and are calling for a boycott of the "pay to take photos with dogs" service.​

Dogs endure rain and sun for photography, being mistreated in public​

Seeing an obedient Alaska dog sitting in Lam Vien Square (Da Lat), 25-year-old Nguyen Ngoc Linh, a tourist from Dong Thap, approached with her best friend to pet it and take a commemorative photo.
Before she could put her phone away, Ngoc Linh was stunned when a young man approached asking for a fee of 20,000 VND. The female tourist was even more surprised when the dog's owner explained that this was a "paid photo with dogs service."
Sharing with the reporter from Dân trí, Ngoc Linh said she encountered this situation in 2019 – that was also her first visit to Da Lat. At that time, Ngoc Linh wasn’t aware of the business model of taking photos with pets, so she was quite taken aback.

In July, Ngoc Linh had the chance to return to Da Lat and was shocked to witness the moment when Alaska dogs were being abused by their owners in a crowded place.
Ngoc Linh recounted: "That night, it was drizzling in Da Lat, my friend and I were sitting in the square enjoying the scenery while snacking. From afar, I was astonished to see a group of Alaska dogs being forced to sit in the rain, not provided with an umbrella or taken home. Many looked exhausted, lying slumped on the ground.
Notably, when nearby tourists reminded the owner to shelter the dogs from the rain, the owner ignored their concerns, seemed annoyed, and occasionally hit the dog on the head with a slipper when they saw it lying down for too long."
The family of Ms. H.T., a tourist from Hanoi, expressed their outrage upon reading about the incident of pet abuse in Da Lat. She revealed that her family had once become "unwilling customers" of this service.
"The dogs here are very beautiful and gentle. My son loves animals and wanted to take a picture with them. When I let him take the pictures, they didn’t charge us but just said to give as we felt. Typically, tourists would give 20,000 to 100,000 VND before leaving.
My family visited for a photo during the daytime, it was sunny, but the dogs were still forced to sit outside for photos. The dogs, although tired and with droopy eyes, still tried to sit still, showing fear. After this incident, if we have a chance to return to Da Lat, we certainly will not take photos with animals again. To me, this is a cruel act that must be condemned outright," Ms. H.T. shared.

Da Lat residents are outraged​

Not only being outraged by many tourists, local residents reported that the abuse and beatings of pet dogs occur daily in Da Lat.
Mr. L.T.N. (35 years old, a resident living in downtown Da Lat) has witnessed the scene of dogs being beaten and chased three times. According to him, although residents have condemned and boycotted this behavior many times, the incidents still continue to recur.
Mr. L.T.N. recounted: "As far as I know, there are about 4-5 groups of people using dogs as tools for making money in Da Lat. When criticized, these people explain themselves, however, as someone who has lived in Da Lat for a long time, I absolutely do not believe their words.
The dogs are usually forced to sit in one position from morning until evening, not allowed to sleep or move. If the dogs do not cooperate, the owners will threaten and scold them. When there are no people around, they are willing to hit the dogs on the head and belly with sticks brutally. The dogs are often scared and run away, but the owners pull the leash back, leaving them unable to resist."


The moment of dog abuse in Da Lat causing outrage (Photo: Screenshot).

According to Mr. N., around 8 AM every day, the dogs are taken out to "earn money" and are not brought home until late at night.
The location of these groups is usually flexible; during the day, they take the dogs to famous check-in spots, while at night they bring them to Lam Vien Square, Xuan Huong Lake, and Da Lat night market... A few years ago, there were only a few dogs, but recently the number has increased to nearly 20, mostly Alaska and Samoyed breeds.
"When taking photos with customers, if the dogs do not cooperate, the owner just needs to reach out, and they will shrink in fear, not daring to move," he added.

In the process of further investigating the incident, reporters from Dân trí learned about Ms. Thuy Anh - the head of an animal rescue station in Da Lat. According to Ms. Thuy Anh, she frequently receives videos and images from residents and tourists about the abuse and beatings of dogs in Da Lat.
Members of the station have repeatedly posted calls to boycott the "service of taking photos with dogs" in various groups, as well as contacted animal welfare organizations abroad to condemn the maltreatment of pets here.
Ms. Thuy Anh said: "The number of clips and images of dogs being beaten and abused sent to the station is countless. Recently, the number of reports from tourists has increased 3-4 times.
Through the clips, it can be seen that this group of people beats the dogs very cruelly, hitting dangerously sensitive spots, causing pain. In some clips, they are seen beating the dogs while swearing in public, affecting Da Lat's image in the eyes of tourists."

Because there is a "demand," there is a "supply"?​

In a conversation with reporters from Dân trí, a member of the Take Action Vietnam organization (an organization specialized in protecting pets) shared that as soon as the incidents of dog abuse became public, members of the organization had gone to Da Lat to investigate further.
A Take Action Vietnam member stated: "Around 7-8 PM on August 20, we moved around Lam Vien Square but no longer saw these dogs appearing. When passing through the night market area, we saw two dogs being forced to sit for photos in a tired state. However, a moment later when we returned to the square, we saw the dogs again being taken out for photos."

Currently, the debates about the abuse of pet dogs in Da Lat are still occurring vigorously on various forums. Not only calling for the "boycott of the dog photography service," many tourists have expressed that they will not visit Da Lat if this situation continues.
Thao Trang, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, expressed her point of view: "Objectively speaking, where there is a 'demand,' there will be a 'supply'; if there are still people wanting to take pictures with dogs, there will still be people taking dogs out to earn money.
They exploit tourists' love for animals for personal gain. However, the situation has reached alarming levels with incidents of beatings and animal cruelty. In my view, we need to strongly condemn and put an end to this service in Da Lat."


The moment a dog looks exhausted from being forced to sit in Da Lat's night market (Photo: Take Action Vietnam).

Kim Tuyen, a tourist from Ho Chi Minh City, shared: "Because I love these puppies, I have taken photos and supported this service. Today, when I saw the images of the puppies being abused, I genuinely regret and am outraged. In the future, I will never use this service again anywhere."
Account Trang Nguyen expressed being traumatized after seeing the clip of dogs being beaten with metal rods by their owner. She declared that she would never set foot in Da Lat again because she felt deeply hurt after witnessing those moments.