Many locals in Bến Tre Province have started to raise dogs and other pets for a living. Photo courtesy of news.zing.vn

Viet Nam News BEN TRE  – Many residents in the southern province of Bến Tre are raising dogs and other pets, gaining significant achievements and respectable profits.

In recent years, professional systems that take care of breeding, veterinary services, and the buying and selling of pets have emerged in the province.

Trần Tấn Đạt, a resident in Châu Thành District’s Hữu Định Commune, for example, invested in a pet-raising business after retirement.

Initially, he had a couple of poodles but now has 20 poodles of different sizes, including teacup, toy, miniature and standard.

He said that demand for poodles was high since the breed was friendly and easy to train.

Nguyễn Thành Đông, a farmer in Bến Tre City’s Sơn Đông Commune, has raised a variety of breeds, including pugs, border collies, rottweilers, and Phú Quốc and berger dogs.

Raising multiple breeds has allowed him to earn a profit from the most difficult buyers.

Đông added that raising foreign dog breeds required more attention and resources compared to pure Vietnamese breeds.

They need to be bathed regularly and given vaccinations to prevent disease, he said, emphasising that food sources must also be chosen carefully.

If dogs are taken care of well, they can give birth three times per year, with four to six puppies each time.

Besides the economic value, raising pets can bring joy and social connections, especially to retired workers like Đạt.

Last year, the Bến Tre Province’s Pet Association launched a dog-raising group with the aim of bringing together breeders and providing a platform to exchange ideas on the industry.

The group has hosted several seminars and invited dog food companies to share their experience in raising quality pets.

Lê Văn Huyền, director of the group, said that a thriving dog-breeding business required passion as well as thorough understanding.

The group now has 40 official and about 60 unofficial members.

Bến Tre, Tiền Giang, HCM City and China are the most common destinations where locals sell their dogs, Huyền said.

Nguyễn Quốc Phương, a resident who does not breed dogs, said that pet-raising was also an educational activity that helps children learn to love animals. – VNS