Sales of dog and cat meat have risen in Vietnam and Cambodia since the outbreak of the coronavirus because people believe it has “warming” properties that head off flu viruses, an investigation has found.
Even some hospital doctors recommend the meat to patients, claiming it helps protect them from cold weather and recover from surgery, according to campaigners.
But experts say caging the animals in large numbers and slaughtering them in insanitary conditions actively increases the chances of starting dangerous diseases, and there is no evidence of the meat having any beneficial effects.
