Here in the United States, we are pretty fortunate to have policies on humane treatment of animals. Our furry friends are a lot of times similar to family members.
We would never think about roasting up our favorite pet dog – that would be unthinkable! Our pets mean too much to us in American society. Plus, such an act is not common throughout the United States.
The sad news, though, is that many countries throughout the world do not think about pets, dogs specifically, the same way. This article will actually inform you about the five countries where dog meat is legal to eat. Sometimes this act is cruel, and sometimes the eating is more of a respectful tradition.
Studies report that around the world, over 30 million dogs get slaughtered to be eaten. you need to make sure you stay informed about the global situation.
South Korea
It is perhaps widely known that South Korea eats dog meat on a regular basis. In fact, there have been humanitarian efforts around the world to convince South Korea to reduce its cruelty toward the animals.
The Humane Society is one of those organizations that are working towards education and animal rights efforts on behalf of the country’s dogs and puppies. The dogs in this country have to survive brutal conditions, only to be slaughtered mercilessly soon enough.
Most of these happy creatures live in cages their entire lives. They’re only fed minimally, and that food is not the most nutritious. Even cows in the United States are treated a little bit better than this unfortunate situation.
Vietnam
In Vietnam, the tradition of eating dog meat is not as gruesome. In the poor areas of the country, sometimes this food source would be a family’s only option.
People start raising dogs with the intention of guarding the family. After a few years of this successfully, it might be time for the dog to go.
Perhaps the dog has gotten too old and is going to die soon anyway. Perhaps, though, the family is simply too hungry to go without eating it soon. Now, the number of families eating dog meat has climbed drastically, and this has significantly caused concern throughout the world about the treatment of these animals.
China
China is perhaps one of the most well-known countries that consume dog meat regularly. We might have all grown up hearing stories about the eating of dogs in China. As kids, such a fact can be somewhat terrifying, especially if one was raised alongside one of the furry companions!
Chinese culture has a specific reason it consumes dog meat on an annual basis. It is a staple food of the country’s New Year Festival.
Foreign visitors and native inhabitants alike gather for the festivities around this time of year. Not only are their fireworks and parades for the celebration, but there are also tasty treats that everyone is expecting to partake in. One of these tasty treats includes dog meat.
Perhaps you are traveling to the country soon (and perhaps this is to visit the country’s well-known Michael Jackson statue). If you find yourself in China around the New Year Festival, take care to question the substance of any snack you are handed. You might accidentally find yourself eating a dog if you are not careful!
Ghana
For many years, dog meat in Ghana was acceptable and consumed regularly. Until around 2009, there were almost no issues socially with eating the furry animals.
Around that year, though, a clever marketing campaign changed the understanding of eating dog food within the country. Yes, the meat was still eaten by many people, but there was a different understanding of the food source.
People in Ghana started considering dog meat a delicacy as something to be highly valued and almost rare. This led to decreased numbers of dogs getting slaughtered for food, but it did not remove the dog meat consumption entirely.
It might be a good idea for other countries who regularly eat dog meat to get on board with this plan so that the animals are more peacefully treated throughout the world.
Switzerland
Perhaps one of the most humane countries on this list, Switzerland also allows for the consumption of dog meat. This, though, is not due to starvation or cruel intentions when it comes to the treatment of the animals.
The Swiss, actually, take pride and care for their food consumption and animal treatment. In fact, their consumption of dog food meat is pretty minimal. You might only be able to find it at a few locations in the country in the form of dog jerky.
Still, though, it’s a wonder that such a civilized country allows for the consumption of one of the world’s most common pets. While technically still an animal, some Americans particularly consider dogs to be too family-tied to possibly be considered food. This, though, is not considering the hardships that many other dog-eating locations around the world experience.
Why Dog Meat Might Be Legal
In some of these countries around the world where dog meat is a legal food item, the animals are treated fairly up until their time of death. It is important to consider the surrounding cultural expectations of the area.
Some areas simply do not have enough money to purchase any other kind of meat, so dog meat is their best bet for survival. As unfortunate as that is, we have to remember that people’s lives should come before animals.
Sometimes, though, people are unnecessarily cruel to the animals they unjustly slaughter for consumption. That is why there are efforts to maintain these atrocities on a global scale.
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