It is in the small restaurant “74”, right next to one of the main railway lines out of Vietnam’s second largest city, where I meet “Tó” , one of the four poodles of Mrs Nguyen.
These much loved dogs live a typical canine urban life in Hanoi. Confined to a shop, a small restaurant or to a flat, most dogs are adjusting remarkably well to their owner’s life style and to the hazards around them.
A lot of these – usually small – dogs live right next to busy roads or – as in the case of the “74” – just a couple of meters away from a railway line.
Dog ownership, considered by communist governments a bourgeois past time and frequently discouraged as a waste of precious food resources, has in many countries increased in line with an improved standard of living. Over time, the human- animal bond has proven to be more powerful than any political system…..
On my walks through the center of Hanoi, I mostly see small poodles, Chihuahuas and a surprisingly large number of Corgies. Interestingly no pugs or French bulldogs and thankfully no larger breeds at all.
At least in the centre of this huge city, there doesn’t appear to be any stray dogs and despite their very confined existence, most of these small canine companions seem to enjoy a reasonably good life, in any case compared to their cousins on the countryside.
Having to scrape by, mostly on left overs, competing often with the life stock of the same household and with little or no hope for any veterinary care. After all, this is a country where the dog as a potential food source has not completely disappeared from the menue….
Along with an increased interest in pet ownership, mostly in the urban centers, has come not only a demand for better veterinary care, but driven by popular television programmes and by social media, for veterinary care of an international standard.
A brief online search for veterinary services in the center of Hanoi, results in a plethora of practices and clinics, with often colourful names and all with raving Google reviews, albeit usually by reviewers with not more than a total of three or less reviews to their name.
Openly displayed price lists – reminding me a bit of a black board displaying the daily specials in a restaurant… – give an indication not only of the competitiveness of the market, but also of the range of services typically provided.
Health checks for less than £ 3/ 4$ and vaccinations or X-Rays for less than £ 7/ 9 $, look very competitive and so does the neutering of a (female ?!) dog for less than £25/ 30$.
At the moment the life of an urban dog in Hanoi remains pretty much confined to the dwelling of their owner and to the very few and always busy local parks. Taking a dog (or a cat !) inside a shop or a restaurant is generally not allowed.
But even in this respect – often driven by foreign influence – attitudes might change over time.
The Blue Vet Diary 