Why Would We Eat Man’s Best Friend?

Every year we slaughter about 30 million nameless dogs for food. We usually either hang them or electrocute them.

The ‘we’, refers to people who actually eat them or those of us who may be complicit in the atrocity. Some of these dogs are born and raised for this death. Others are pets snatched from their owners by traffickers too impatient to wait for dogs to grow up. Dog meat consumption occurs mainly in Asia, but is found across the globe. It’s still legal and common in Switzerland. And was only made illegal in the U.S. in 2018. It was permitted in most states until then. It is still practiced in some American villages.

It’s widespread in China and South Korea. In Vietnam it is particularly prevalent. And it’s not just the eating, but conditions surrounding the trade that are so horrific. Many dogs consumed in Asia don’t come from “legal” dog farms, but are ripped from pet owners, sometimes in the light of day.

One university study found that in a suburban village near the capital city Jinan, 87% of households had pets stolen in the last few years. Throughout the country, networks of dog thieves grab pets and transport them down isolated country roads, in cages so small that dogs can’t stand.

Dogs are often exposed to premeditated torture. They are not fed and left exposed to the elements. Before their final slaughter, they are often tortured again. Sometimes one or more legs are cut off. Traffickers believe that pumping their bodies full of adrenaline in response to the torture makes their meat more tasty and healthful.

This practice is reminiscent of the barbaric practice of bull baiting in 18th century England.Torturing bulls prior to butchering was not only permitted but required by law in many regions. Some dogs are thrown into boiling water to remove their skins while they are still alive or cooked by blowtorch.

How did eating dog meat get started?

Countries like China experienced severe famines over many centuries. You can understand how starving people weren’t too picky when they found food of any kind. Then there are the widespread but unscientific beliefs that eating certain animals or animal parts leads to robust health and sexual power. Along with a host of other foods, such as Rhinoceros horns, dog meat is on that long list.

“If dog meat was made illegal and banned tomorrow,

nobody would starve, and nor would their health suffer.”

Jason Pang, WDA

Some say the ancient heritage of dog eating is a myth. It existed in ancient times, but starting in the 10th century, the Buddhists opposed it and there was a major drop in dog consumption. And the Qing (Manchu) Dynasty from 1644–1912 banned eating dogs and considered it a barbaric custom. Nurhaci, the first Manchu leader’s life was saved by a dog. He told his people:

“In the mountains, there are so many kinds of animals which you can hunt for food, but

from now on, no one is allowed to eat dogs, nor wear dog skin. When dogs die, they should

be buried because dogs can read man’s emotion and can rescue their masters. Dogs are loyal.”

Nurhaci

The Kuomintang government revived the practice; the Communists that came after, continued it.

Hope for a Brighter Day

Things have been changing, and in recent years the pace is accelerating. Last April, in response to Covid-19, China declared dogs to be companion animals and not livestock. The ministry said they should not be eaten.

It’s not a ban yet, but some Chinese cities and regions, including Hong Kong and Taiwan, have declared prohibitions with criminal penalties, up to 30 days imprisonment in Hong Kong.

Most Chinese people don’t eat dogs, and many are pet owners who love their 74 million dogs. Other countries all over the world are also banning the practice. We have made progress, but we need more.

Why Does It Continue?

Two reasons. Many people find it difficult to outgrow the habits and customs of a lifetime. Others seek the putative health benefits, such as strength, improved circulation, warmth in winter, etc. And the lure of enhanced libido and sexual prowess for males.

These groups are mostly older people; younger people are usually opposed. But for some, there is a financial reward and a business opportunity.

In countries where people eat dogs, some make a distinction between dogs for pets and dogs for food. This is an arbitrary distinction that doesn’t hold up. And in practice, millions of dogs that are pets end up being stolen and eaten.

Advocates for the practice of eating dog meat accuse us, especially those of us in the West, of cultural imperialism. The argument goes that when we encounter a culture with some customs and values we despise, we immediately try to change their ways into our ways.

Cultural autonomy has value and should be respected. But there are limits, and they are usually obvious. Murder, crimes against girls and women, such as honor killings in the Mideast, are examples of such crimes. So are torturing dogs, cats, and horses. These acts are so heinous that they transcend local values and need to be opposed.

There’s another argument we hear in favor of the practice of eating dog meat. That our criticism is hypocritical, since we too slaughter millions of animals for food. People like Buddhists and Jains have argued for vegetarianism for thousands of years.

Many of us are moving in that direction and will be there some day. But in the meantime, we need to draw a distinction between dogs, cats, and horses on the one hand and other animals. Dogs sometimes work for us, but they are also what the Chinese government calls “companion animals”.

For 30,000 years, dogs and humans have co-evolved. As a result, we have co-adapted to each other. Dogs make eye contact with us and wag their tails. The wolves they evolved from do neither. Dogs sometimes jump up to greet us, which is another behavior they evolved while living with us. There is a special relationship here that is obvious to anyone who looks at it.

We could consider reams of biological data, or enlightening anecdotes that come up daily to show a member of one species protecting a member of the other. We could also look at the peace and satisfaction dogs and humans feel in each other’s company. Or we can just sit back quietly and let them peer deeply into our souls.

Even someone who is not a dog lover can see the special relationship. When we adopt dogs of any age, they quickly become members of our family. And we don’t eat members of our family.

How do we get autonomous groups to adopt our values?

Obviously, don’t eat dog meat. Don’t patronize restaurants that serve it. Write letters to the restaurants and tell them you and your friends would be more comfortable eating there if it weren’t for the dog meat. All this is to remove the economic incentive that now exists to continue the practice.

Next, support K9 Global and similar organizations that work to promote dog welfare and humane treatment of dogs and other animals. Endorse laws and regulations that favor fair treatment and oppose those that weaken it. Much of this already yields tangible results.

There are two additional solutions that are effective but often overlooked by activists: Trade and memes. By trade we mean business, commerce, free markets, capitalism. This is already working for this issue and for many others. It’s easier to influence collaborators than strangers. Examples. When the Olympics plans to come to a country or when we forge new trade alliances, local and national governments in that country quickly take steps to discourage the eating of dog meat. They also make many other improvements.

In Vietnam, where the practice is deeply entrenched, the national government considers it an embarrassment globally and takes steps to banish or at least mitigate this custom that the people still support.

Then there are the memes. Just as a gene is the unit of genetic information and transmission at the molecular level, a meme is a unit of cultural information and transmission at a very basic level. They circulate like viruses and sometimes stick. When they do, they change behavior.

All over the world, people drink Coca-Cola and wear blue jeans, two western memes now deeply rooted in international cultures. Other people the world over have adopted thousands of other memes as well. Western memes, especially when tied to foreign trade, have a life their own and supplant many of the old ways.

Our treatment of pets is a such a meme that is spreading, and will continue to spread in coming years.

Already the evidence shows the younger generation leaving certain older habits behind, including using dogs as a source of food.

A More Perplexing Question: Why Does It Have To Be So Cruel?

Given that some people kill dogs to eat, they could do so without the brutal cruelty now common. They have a lot to learn here from Temple Grandin. She’s not a vegetarian, but in her work, she insists on humane treatment for the animals we do eat. Many American meat producers have adopted her humane methods, which also turn out to be more profitable.

Instead of a quick, painless death, many dogs suffer needlessly. Dogs have to look on in terror as they watch other dogs tortured to death. One Chinese rescuer was able to break in and save 12 dogs in a batch that weren’t scheduled to be killed until the next day. None would make eye contact with him. Presumably because they just witnessed a man killing the others in the group and feared they were next.

“The question is not can they reason? Nor, can they talk? But can they suffer?”

Jeremy Bentham, 1789