Indian Women Trade Dog Meat for Mushrooms

Three former wholesale dog meat traders in Nagaland, India, have transitioned to cultivating mushrooms and producing pickles thanks to the Models for Change program, supported by Humane World for Animals India and Pro Rural. For over twenty years, these women played a key role in supplying dogs for slaughter and human consumption in Nagaland and Manipur. Their decision to leave the trade and surrender their remaining 18 dogs represents a disruption to a cruel commerce.

The Models for Change program, launched in 2025, provides alternative livelihoods for women involved in the dog meat trade. Thirty women have already successfully switched to new ventures, with another thirty preparing to join. The program emphasizes sustainable income and addresses the socio-economic vulnerabilities that drive participation in the trade, as well as the public health risks associated with the transmission of rabies.

The initiative aims to end the trade through legislative efforts, community engagement, animal rescue, and professional retraining programs across Asia. Humane World for Animals India continues to support this transition and advocate for a more compassionate future.