Inside Vietnam’s Frog Meat Trade: Unseen Horrors
In a recent undercover investigation, PETA Asia revealed the conditions endured by frogs in Vietnam’s frog meat industry. From crowded sacks to ineffective and agonising “ice baths,” these animals suffer immensely before being cruelly slaughtered. PETA Asia investigators documented shocking acts of brutality at multiple facilities, where frogs were mutilated and skinned alive.
A Grim Reality for Frogs in Vietnam
At these facilities, frogs are first stuffed into overcrowded sacks, barely able to move. Workers then plunge the animals into cold baths intended to “numb” them before the next brutal step. However, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) explicitly states that ice baths do not sufficiently alleviate pain. Investigators found that the frogs remained fully conscious and in visible agony as workers began their gruesome work.
A Harrowing Sight: Skinned Alive
The suffering escalates as workers strike the frogs with scissors, cut their backs, and begin to remove their skin. These poor animals often vocalise and continue moving even after being skinned. One investigator recounted the unforgettable sight of a skinless frog, still alive and struggling, leaping toward them – a haunting reminder of the suffering in this cruel industry.
After being skinned alive, frogs are tossed onto piles of other mutilated frogs, where investigators documented that the bodies of skinless frogs continued to move for up to 15 minutes. This horrific cruelty was documented repeatedly across multiple locations. These are not isolated incidents but widespread industry practices.
How You Can Help
Please, never buy or consume frog legs. If you see any restaurants serving them, anywhere in the world, use PETA’s template letter, below, to ask that they remove them from their menu.
PETA Asia has taken a stand against this cruelty by filing a complaint with the relevant authorities, but we need your help. As consumers, you can help end this suffering – this nightmare will continue as long as there’s demand for frogs’ legs. But you have the power to make a difference. By choosing to go vegan, you can take a stand against cruelty. Will you join us in creating a kinder world for all animals?
Please add the missing information before sending your letter. Let us know if you receive a positive response by writing to [email protected].
Name
Position
Organisation
XX Month 2024
Via e-mail:
Dear [Title] [Lastname]:
I was shocked to learn that [restaurant name] serves frog legs. Cruelty to animals is a major societal concern today, and distressing footage from PETA’s exposé of the frog-meat industry reveals the suffering inherent in this trade. In Indonesia, frogs are captured in the wild and stuffed into sealed bags in which a large number of them suffocate. Workers then sort dead frogs from live ones, slamming any who try to escape on the ground to kill them. The frogs – dead or alive – are then dismembered: their heads and legs are cut off while they’re likely still conscious. The footage shows appalling abuse.
Frogs feel pain and fear, yet nearly 322 tonnes of frog legs were shipped from Indonesia to the EU between March and May 2023. The cruelty is systemic: whether wild or farmed, in Indonesia or elsewhere, frogs are violently killed.
PETA notes that even when they come from other countries, frogs used for the frog-meat industry are kept in a state of lethargy in a cold room or water basin between 0 and 4°C before being decapitated alive, sometimes while fully conscious.
Like all animals, frogs deserve our compassion. Please help spare them suffering and a violent death by removing frog legs from your menu.
Sincerely,
[signature]
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