In a campaign aimed to ensure traffic safety, cleanliness and “urban aesthetics,” workers from the public order management team and the animal health division of the central district caught five dogs and kept them at an animal detention facility on Mai Thi Luu Street, Da Kao Ward.

They would be fed and cared for until their owners come to reclaim them after paying a fine.

Vietnamese laws require dogs to be muzzled and chained in public, among other things, and failure to comply can cost the owners VND600,000-1.6 million ($26-71).

Truong Nhat went to the facility to reclaim his dog on Wednesday morning. He knew the authorities were patrolling the streets looking for stray dogs, but had been careless, he admitted.

“I just have to be more careful next time.”

He had to pay VND1.4 million ($62) for letting his dog out unsupervised and failing to produce vaccination certificates for his dogs.

Last month, vice chairman of Saigon’s District 1 and the de facto leader of its cleanup campaign, Doan Ngoc Hai, already said that district officials should first educate the public about the negative impacts of letting their dogs roam free, the importance of vaccinating them to prevent the spread of diseases, and other factors, before authorities start punishing cases of violation.