Under a new government decree issued on June 11, which regulates administrative penalties in the veterinary sector, dog owners who allow their pets to roam freely in public without supervision will face the same financial penalties.
The new fines are up to 2.5 times higher than current regulations, which penalize offenders between VND600,000 and 800,000.
A woman walks a dog across a street in Ho Chi Minh City, April 2025. Photo by Dang Le
The decree also targets broader public health and veterinary violations. Animal owners who fail to vaccinate their pets against rabies will face fines of VND1 million to 2 million, while failing to implement other mandatory disease-prevention measures will incur fines between VND200,000 and 300,000. Owners who fail to isolate, care for, or treat animals showing signs of illness can be fined up to VND1.5 million.
Stricter penalties have been established for environmental contamination and illegal trading. Individuals who dispose of diseased animal carcasses or products in public places, or who trade in animals infected with contagious diseases, will face fines ranging from VND5 million to 6 million.
