Le Lam The man suffered broken limbs and a head injury

Doctors say a 26-year-old man suffered broken arms and legs as well as a head injury in the latest horrific scenes of violence in Vietnam. Animal lovers are fighting back against criminal gangs that steal pets and sell them for up to restaurants and slaughter houses for to £4 a kilo. Across the Far East, dogs are being killed in their thousands because of a quack belief their meat can help cool the blood during the hot summer.

North Korean despot Kim Jong-un is the latest figure to hail its qualities, calling on his famished people to eat dog because it builds stamina. In Vietnam, dog meat is regarded as a harbinger of good fortune and is popular with groups of men during drinking bouts. A burgeoning economy is helping to boost its popularity but animal lovers are striking back to protect their pets. In the latest incident in Bien Hoa, angry residents chased down a motorbike after two men were spotted with a home-made stun gun, a favourite weapon of dog thieves.

GETTY The North Korean leader encouraged his people to eat dog in an attempt to curb the widespread hunger

As the bike roared away, the pillion passenger fell off and was set on by the mob before being rescued by police.

There have been many deaths in confrontations between dog thieves and owners in Vietnam Thanhnien News

A photograph published by Thanhnien News shows the blooded man on his side with a scattering of possessions spread around his body. It reports that many people have turned vigilante in the wake of Vietnam’s dog theft crisis, believing that the crimes are not taken seriously by the authorities and fines are paltry.

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GETTY Across many parts of East Asia dog meat is seen to posses special qualities