Vietnam · Companion Animal Welfare
Lữ Rescue Alliance is a research-driven organization dedicated to strengthening the animal welfare infrastructure in Vietnam by mapping local resources, generating evidence-based solutions, and fostering sustainable, culturally informed support for pet families.
The Challenge
Vietnam's rescue network is driven by incredible passion, but it operates largely in the dark. There is no shared system for tracking how many animals enter rescue, how many are adopted, or where need is most acute. Without this data, organizations cannot identify patterns and advocates cannot make evidence-based arguments for policy change.
Animals may cycle through overcrowded rescues with no visibility into system-wide capacity, and we have no data on the specific issues and bottlenecks that rescuers face on the ground. The stories that exist remain anecdotes rather than credible findings. LữRA was founded to change this by building the infrastructure that transforms field-level experience into actionable knowledge.
Our Research Strategy
Our work focuses on documenting the landscape of animal welfare and human-animal bonds in the region.
Track 01
We collaborate with local Vietnamese rescues and clinics to identify the specific logistical hurdles within the current animal welfare system.
The Goal
To move past assumptions and understand the true operational challenges and bottlenecks of rescues and clinics. We work to understand patterns and translate anecdotes into credible, evidence-based findings that can be used by others.
Track 02
At the heart of our mission is the belief that supporting animals begins with understanding the humans who care for them. Our field studies focus on the local human-animal bond in a community context.
The Goal
To learn how families in the local community care for their cherished pets and understand the challenges they face — from accessible vet care to navigating the risks associated with free-roaming cats and dogs in the community.
The Vietnam Opportunity
Vietnam is a nation of immense energy and potential. Pet ownership has grown significantly over the past decade, driven by a rising middle class and an increasingly urban population that has embraced companion animals as part of family life. At the same time, the Vietnamese government has committed to the One Health initiative — a framework that recognizes the inseparable connections between animal, human, and environmental health — signaling that animal welfare is no longer a peripheral concern but part of a national public health agenda.
Perhaps most encouraging is the generation rising to meet this moment. Across Vietnam, young people are organizing — building rescue networks, advocating for stronger protections, and pushing for welfare standards that reflect a modern, compassionate society. By combining that local energy and cultural expertise with rigorous, systematic research, LữRA aims to provide the evidence base needed to accelerate this progress and build a safer, healthier Vietnam for all.