Thai authorities say they have rescued more than 750 dogs destined for cooking pots in Vietnam

Thai authorities say they have rescued more than 750 dogs destined for cooking pots in Vietnam. (CNN/MCOT)

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Thais help dogs escape Vietnamese dinner table

The dogs will be sent to a shelter

Updated: Thursday, 12 Jan 2012, 6:51 AM CST
Published : Thursday, 12 Jan 2012, 6:51 AM CST

BANGKOK (AP) — Thai authorities say they have rescued more than 750 dogs destined for cooking pots in Vietnam.

Capt. Thirakiat Thongaram says a Thai navy patrol caught a gang of dog smugglers Thursday morning on the shore of the Mekong River in Nakhon Phanom province.

His men found at least 750 dogs in small, rusty cages on a truck near a ferry ready to take them across the river to Laos.

He says the canines were to be transported through Laos to Vietnam, where dog meat is a delicacy. One Thai man was arrested on charges including illegal transportation of animals, while the other smugglers escaped.

The dogs will be sent to a shelter in Nakhon Phanom.

In 2011, Thai authorities rescued about 2,000 dogs headed for Vietnam.

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