China's restaurants take dog off menu!

[eevee]

Me personally, I don't care what animal anyone eats so long as it's:

-not cannibalism
-the animal isn't an endangered/protected species
-the animal was raise w/o abuse, neglect, and general harm
-the animal was killed humanely

Originally Posted by Vagabond

Yeah, yeah we know, cultural practices and all...you know they cut little girls clitorises off in certain parts of the Islamic world, is it "culturally correct" to protect that practice too?

are you seriously comparing the gruesome mutilation of a human child to the practice of eating dog meat? please be serious here, they are in no way related whatsoever

Originally Posted by Vagabond

Look, dogs are NOT cows, they are companion animals and they have even been shown by recent studies to be capable of empathy.

WRONG, the vast majority of dogs, up until recently (and recently compared to the length dogs have been domesticated), dogs were NOT bred as companion dogs, they were bred w/ specific purposes in mind. some were bred as livestock guardians, some as hunters, some as fighting dogs, some as ratters, some as cart pullers, and yes, some as food (though many people felt the dogs served greater purposes outside of food, such as those previously listed). the eating of dogs in some countries is as common place as the eating of dogs here. rabbits are commonly bred for food, guinea pigs are a delicacy in South America, and many animals Western civilization consider "pets" are commonly eaten elsewhere.

many people think all animals feel empathy and feel cows are as loving, intelligent, empathic, and worthy as any other companion pet. many people keep cows as pets and would be PO if people considered their pets to be of less value than a dog or cat or other companion pet

Originally Posted by Vagabond

Ever seen a dog skinned alive? Ever seen a dog beaten to death instead of being humanely killed because the terror the animal is caused before death "makes it taste" better? If you are going to eat an animal, there are respectful ways of dispatching it so that it feels no pain and is not aware of what is going to happen to it. The fact that Asians engage in the TORTURE of these animals before eating them reveals a very sick element of their culture that doesn't deserve protection under any doctrine or misguided belief in cultural respect and sensitivity. What they do to cats and dogs in that country is just flat out barbaric and they could stand to take a lesson from a more elevated culture about civil treatment of animals and people.

the fact that many of these dogs are inhumanly kept and killed is horrific, but really, look at how cows and chickens and pigs are killed right here in the good ol US of A. if China and other Asian countries humanly raised and killed their cats and dogs, I wouldn't have an issue w/ them eating these meats at all.

I just find it ironic when people complain about China's barbaric killing practices when the slaughter houses in the USA aren't much better. China, w/ the exceptions of a few major world cities like Hong Kong, ShangHai, and Beijing, is still mostly a 2nd/3rd world country whose idea of animal welfare is far behind those of 1st world countries. the USA, as a 1st world country, should fix up its own slaughtering methods before criticizing those of other countries (do as I say, not as I do has always been a BS excuse)

Originally Posted by Vagabond

Hell, we've had to adjust to a global economy, if they want to continue to shower us with their poorly design thrift market junk, it won't kill them to take dogs and cats off the menu to "appease us"...

why should they? it's their culture to eat dog and cat, just like it's ours to eat cattle. people here would be up and arms if, to appease India, we had to forever remove beef from our menus, or to appease several, several other countries in the world where it is seen as a dirty animal unfit to be eaten, we had to remove pork from our diets. again, following my guidelines above, to each his own. pig, cow, chicken, turkey, fish, cat, dog, rabbit, horse, cavy, goat, whatever, certain people will attach certain cultural/personal significance to certain animals and regard them as companions and off limits, and other animals as fit to be eaten or altogether pariahs. who are we to judge or decide which animals those should be?

[gizmo980]

Originally Posted by Blondie621

I agree Katie! But nothing is made here anymore. My Mom just bought something and the label said made in Pakistan. We are making other countries rich and ourselves poor! Go figure....

I don't want to get into an argument about outsourcing and trade, since that belongs on the Political boards... but I have no problem with buying foreign products. If other countries are suffering, that will inevitably trickle down to our country, so selfishness will only backfire on us. Anyway, back to the original topic - I hate the idea of eating dogs & cats, but that is part of their culture. Just like others have said, I'm sure India feels the same about our beef industry.

[vemureaux]

Originally Posted by Blondie621

All of Asia eats dogmeat. They all make me sick! I am sorry but mans best friend is not supposed to be eaten. My friend went to Korea and saw the open markets with dogs lined up in cages. He said the dogs could sense they were gonna be slaughtered right there for someones dinner. Those people make me sick, sorry. I know not all of those people eat dogmeat but whatever. UGH!

That's a gross overstatement. Not all Asian cultures eat dog meat, and not all cultures that consider dogs as food are Asian. China and Korea are the two most known for their consuption of dogmeat, but consider the following "fun facts":

Dogs have historically been an emergency food source for various peoples in Siberia, Alaska, northern Canada, and Greenland. Sled dogs are usually maintained for work/pulling sleds, but are occasionally eaten when food is scarce. Even in Europe (France, Germany) dogs were widely eaten during famines and major crisis.

In the early 20th century, consumption of dog meat was common in Germany. It has only been prohibited since 1986.

Even in countries where it is now socially taboo to eat dog meat, many historically have eaten dog meat, and dogs are still eaten in certain remote regions within the country (e.g. India), by select ethnic groups (e.g. Indonesia), some states within a country (e.g. Nigeria), or certain native tribes (North America).

Even within dog-eating countries, some cities have local ordinances prohibiting it (e.g. Manila, Hong Kong) or it's localized to particular regions or ethnic groups. Even in South Korea, dog meat has no legal status as food (unlike beef, pork, or poultry) and therefore its treatment, preparation, or sanitation isn't regulated (even for S. Korean standards).

In Switzerland, the consumption of dog meat and production of food from dog meat is accepted (and has been reported) as long as it's not for commercial purposes.

Dogs were historically bred for their meat by the Aztecs in Mexico. If curious, look up the history of the Mexican Hairless (aka Xoloitzcuintli) breed.

It turns out that Europeans, Africans, and even Central and Northern Americans (including we "civilized folk" in first-world countries) are as "barbaric" as Asians. As many others have stated, dogs as man's best friend is a cultural notion/bias and love for dogs as non-working strictly-companion pets is a relatively recent development. It's rather narrowminded to assume that the social taboos of one country are or even should be universal.

People who view the raising and eating of animals such as dogs, horses, camels, cats, rats, rabbits, kangaroos, etc. as wrong, are reacting emotionally from their own cultural bias. Unfortunately, because of the status of dogs as household pets in many cultures, most people in these cultures will continue to view the practice as wrong. And as with most things that elicit a strong emotional response, trying to argue right/wrong is a moot point.

The above being said, I do condemn the inhumane treatment of any animal being raised for food, whether they be dogs, cows, or anything else. And fyi, some of the practices of the veal andpoultry industries within the United States are far from humane.

For the record, no I don't look at my dog and fantasize about taking a bite. I personally will stick to the more familiar meats.

[davidt1]

Those vegetable eaters are sickos too because plants are totally harmless, innocent and defenseless. Yet, they are cut down, chopped, boiled, fried and eaten. How can you justify that?

Thank you those of you who are the voices of reason here.

[Katie1]

IF you study the American West when wagon trains rolls across this country when other animals were hard to find they ate horses mules oxen & Yes Dogs!

[Calidreemer]

To each his own I suppose, but I'll never eat dogs, rabbits, lambs/sheep, cows, goats, horses, pigs, etc. I don't support factory farming and agree 100% that our practices here in the states are far from humane, just go to Farm Sanctuary's website or Humane Society of the United States to see video or read about it. I don't like abuse or violence against animals or people. I feel you do things you can live with and what you can't you try to do something about.