Motorbike of merry mutts challenges Vietnam's dogmeat culture

This photo taken on December 15, 2022 shows a woman carrying rescued dogs dressed in Santa costume in a tuk tuk along a street in Hanoi. - AFP

HANOI, Dec 17, 2022 (AFP): Retired hairdresser Nguyen Thi Kim Quy is an anomaly as she navigates Hanoi's bustling streets in a pimped-out motorbike tuk-tuk, 13 multi-coloured rescue dogs in tiny Christmas outfits yapping away happily inside.

An estimated five million canines are consumed every year across Vietnam, where dogmeat is considered a delicacy, but the Southeast Asian nation is trying to phase out consumption that is second only to China.