Residents in Vietnam’s capital have been told to stop eating dog meat because it hurts the city’s image and improper slaughtering of the animals could spread rabies.

For many Vietnamese, dog meat is a delicacy that is thought to increase stamina.

Hanoi Vice Mayor Nguyen Van Suu said in a message on the city’s website that slaughtering and consuming dog and cat meat are disturbing to foreigners and “negatively impact the image of a civilised and modern capital”.

Suu instructed local governments to raise awareness of the risk of rabies when raising dog and cat meat.

The move is part of a national program to stamp out rabies by 2021.

Over 1,000 stores in Hanoi still sell dog and cat meat.

The committee also urged residents to stop eating cat meat, which is less popular but still available. It highlighted the fact that many of the animals were cruelly killed.

There are an estimated 490,000 dogs and cats in Hanoi – the majority of which are pets.

Nguyen Thi Minh, who has run a dog meat restaurant in Hanoi for more than 20 years, said there are no risks of rabies because her restaurant selects healthy dogs and the meat is properly cooked.

“People eat dog meat and there’s no problem,” she said. “I serve customers from South Korea, the United States and other countries.”