Frenchman Leopold Vincent, who lives in District 2 in Ho Chi Minh City, has adopted nearly a hundred abandoned cats. He’s well-known around town for his animal protection work, with this care of and love for animals knowing no boundaries.

He remembers all of their names too. “They are not my pets, they are my friends,” he said. “People can remember the name of a hundred friends, so I know all the names of my cats.”

As part of his animal protection project in the city he opened two hotlines for Vietnamese and foreigners to pass on information about animals being abused. He also operates www.vietnamanimalscruelty.com as part of the project.

He uses all of his savings to buy cat food or take them to the vet when they’re ill. “I’m a vegetarian so I don’t need a lot of money,” he said. “A meal of rice and vegetables is enough for me.”

Most Vietnamese prefers dogs as pets more so than cats, he said, so when he comes across an abandoned dog it’s easy to find it a loving home. With cats, though, he takes care of them for the rest of their lives.