Unmuzzled dogs still roam Hanoi parks as dog catchers return

Dogs are still let loose or walked without muzzles in parks and residential areas in Hanoi, fouling public space and raising safety concerns. At public spaces including Thong Nhat Park in Hai Ba Trung Ward in Hanoi, dogs were seen running free among crowds without muzzles in mid-August. This has been persistent despite a government decree on administrative penalties in the veterinary sector, effective Aug. 1, stipulating that anyone taking a dog into a public place without a muzzle or leash faces a fine of VND1-2 million (US$38-76). Letting a dog roam in public unattended carries the same penalty. The fines are roughly double those set in 2017. The pattern of unmuzzled dogs roaming public parks shows up most often in the early morning and at dusk, and is especially common on weekends. Residents said they feel uneasy when loose dogs chase one another through crowded areas. Large dogs still move around Thong Nhat Park without leashes. In 2022, under the national rabies control program for dogs and cats, all 579 communes, wards and townships then in Hanoi set up stray dog catching teams. Each team had six to eight members drawn from neighborhood security guards, militia, police officers, health workers, veterinary staff and dedicated dog catchers. The teams were dropped after a short burst of activity. But some wards have now formed task forces to inspect and fine owners whose dogs are loose, unleashed or unmuzzled. When a task force finds an owner walking a dog without a muzzle or leash, it records the violation and takes the animal to the ward People's Committee. Dogs whose owners cannot be identified are held for 48 hours while the committee posts a public notice. If no one claims the animal after that, the committee disposes of it under regulations that allow euthanasia or transfer to a training or research facility. Pictured is a dog let run free without a leash or muzzle at Vo Thi Sau Park in Bach Mai Ward while its owner stands nearby. At Thong Nhat Park, an owner adjusts the muzzle on a large dog before moving on through the grounds. Loose and unmuzzled dogs are also easy to spot on Hanoi streets. Pictured is a dog roaming without a muzzle on Quang An Street in Tay Ho Ward. Some dogs run loose, darting uncontrolled into the road, in an urban development in Ha Dong. No figures exist for rabies cases in Hanoi traced to stray dogs and cats. Ho Chi Minh City recorded five rabies deaths in the first half of this year, matching its total for all of 2025. Photo by Thanh Hai Beyond loose and unmuzzled dogs, owners in some public areas let their animals foul the ground without cleaning up, leaving a mess and spoiling the surroundings.