Should China ban dog meat?

Mar 10, 2010 5:42:21 AM

Vivek Wagle
Lonely Planet Author

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According to a recent CNN report, the Chinese government is considering banning dog and cat meat.

The move is sure to be controversial. On the one hand there are those who consider meat from these animals as part of a longstanding culinary tradition. For them, banning the eating of cats and dogs would be tantamount to giving in to foreign prejudices.

On the other hand, many people believe that eating domesticated animals is cruel and barbaric. They point to the mistreatment of cats and dogs as an evil, unnecessary practice.

During the 2008 Beijing Olympic games, the Chinese government restricted the sale of these meats in local restaurants. They were perceived as a turn-off to foreigners. That said, the tradition of eating dogs and cats is much more established in southern cities such as Guangzhou. No one knows what the impact of a nationwide ban would be.

What do you think? Would the banning of cat and dog meat be a step forward for the Chinese government, or would it be a type of surrender?

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Comments

11 March 2010 4:45PM blueseer Report this comment
I am a vegetarian. For me eating cow is just as savage as eating dogs and cats. But this is my personal opinion, I do not force my personal opinion onto others, because I detest others forcing their personal opinions onto me. So if someone voluntarily give up eating cow, I will feel positively for him/her. But if there's a law banning eating cows, I will be against it (for supporting it will equal to forcing my personal opinion onto others). Since I feel the same for cows and dogs, by the same logic, I will be happy for people not to eat cats and dogs, but I would not support any law that ban the eating of those animals.
12 March 2010 2:32PM tunali Report this comment
am really glad they're banning dog and cat meat.
12 March 2010 3:55PM purushottaman Report this comment
This was long overdue...
It does not make sense that everything that moves id edible, as per the chinese saying.. Please spare the creatures.
12 March 2010 10:16PM red_tulip Report this comment
Yes - BAN IT! Ban it, now! Eating domestic dog or cat meat is NOT RIGHT! I won't view your gallery - too impossible!
12 March 2010 10:28PM fenifur Report this comment
I am totally against eating dog and cat meat, not to mention because my mum nearly died as a teenager from eating cat meat in what was supposedly a chicken curry in the late 60's in croydon! The main problem I have with it though is how the animals are treated, I saw a documentary where dogs are but in cages so small they can't even put all four legs down and are then electrocuted to death. It's disgusting. Dogs and cats are so intelligent and become part of people's lives so easily, and yet when chinese woman in a "restaurant for pampered dogs" were questioned they said they didn't think dog meat should be banned, even if they did treat their own dogs like children! It's a case of extreme double standards, and I'm hoping that the law does pass and that animals (and people) in China are treated with more freedom and respect.
12 March 2010 10:33PM bojie Report this comment
However I don't eat dog or cat meat myself, I do believe people have the right to choose what to eat and should not be judged by others. What about other kinds of animal meat, such as pork, beef, or dock? So why treat them differently?
13 March 2010 3:22AM lamtrc Report this comment
Personally I have owned cats and dogs and would never eat them. I would not like to see people eating them as well. However, what's our place to judge and tell other people and culture what not to eat as long as they slaughter the animals in a humane way. Look at the way we treat our live stocks in the U.S.. Many countries have banned importing our meats, but not many people in the U.S. knows about that. I sometimes feel unsafe eating meats here unless I know they are organic.
13 March 2010 3:31AM wallynes Report this comment
How exactly is it more wrong to eat cat/dog than cow/chicken? Just because the west sees the former as cute and pet doesn't mean it isn't food.
If this is something the Chinese people want I'd be all for it. But why force them by law if this is the case.
I don't get people who don't eat domestic animals anymore than I get my aunt who loves fish, but can't eat it if it has a head on it. All the meat you eat was once a living, breathing animal. And in the case of pigs, a living breathing animal as smart as the dog/cat in question with an equally visible personality. But we don't know that because pigs aren't domestic animals (outside of a few potbellypigs) which only show up on our radar as bacon and porkchops.
14 March 2010 4:02AM amira1976 Report this comment
I totally agree with the ban- it s high time. I feel for the dogs, the cats, I love them! But I agree, other animals should be protected as well. It s the fact how cruel the Chinese have been to these poor small animals is what makes it a distinctive issue.
14 March 2010 9:31AM backtoreality Report this comment
millions have died in china from famine and starvation, over many centuries, and it is why anything that crawls, swims, or flys is edible...including the dogs and cats we call pets.
As Harry Truman said.."the only thing new in the world is the history you don't know"
It would suffice if they printed the resaurant menu in english as well as chinese...at the front entrance...so you know when you walk in that there are such things as "duck viscera soup" and "dog penis soup" in the giant bowls they serve from.
Should France be forced to stop serving horse meat, or the jews be required to have pork on the menu?
Or. how about lamb's testicles in Montana?...and rattlesnake in Texas?
For some people, it is listed as "an adventure in eating" when they visit foriegn lands, even though it turns my stomach inside out.
14 March 2010 9:50AM backtoreality Report this comment
I should add, for you vegetarian/humanitarian types, it should comfort you to know that the PRC government has opened "no questions asked" orphanages...so people can drop off unwanted baby girls, and the practice of throwing them in the river is on the decline.
14 March 2010 3:28PM shaz9 Report this comment
Meat is meat and it doesn't make a difference which animal it comes from. All animals have the right to decent living conditions and efficient slaughtering procedures. Whilst its good to be aware of other cultures it is not so good to form judgements without experience.
15 March 2010 2:51AM getoutsidenyc Report this comment
I think it's ridiculous. Whether it's a dog, a cow, a carrot, or a mushroom.. they're all living things, and they're all food.
15 March 2010 4:36AM edg123 Report this comment
I realize that different cultures eat a wide variety of food, but I can't imagine either of my two golden retrievers on the menu. Although they could feed a small village!
15 March 2010 10:16AM nowornever Report this comment
i would never eat dog or cat meat, but in india they would not eat cow, and we in the west eat it. so its a regional, religious thing and not to be judged by other cultures but what i would suggest especially for china and -or many countries ,is, to treat animals in a better way, for me the problem is not that people eat animals, but the way how animals are treated as long as they are alive, and that they are slaughtered with more dignity
15 March 2010 10:44AM llukasz Report this comment
Hi ! Personally I ate a dog meat soup in Kaesong in North Korea in 2008. It was extremely tasty ! As far as I am concerned it is necessary to preserve culinary traditions. It is an important part of chinese culture. We have to respect that. However, I underline that the way how animals are treated as long as they are alive is extremely important, and this point has to be legally controled.
16 March 2010 4:38PM nrustad Report this comment
Unless you are a vegan who does not use leather or other animal products, I think it is hypocritical to say China should ban dog and cat meat. I agree that all animals should be treated with dignity - that goes without question but frankly, we need to take a look at the way we treat our farm animals before judging others. Governments have a role in ensuring all animals are not abused and individuals should put their money where there mouth is and support organizations like the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and ask questions about where their animal products are coming from. I do.
16 March 2010 4:38PM nrustad Report this comment
Unless you are a vegan who does not use leather or other animal products, I think it is hypocritical to say China should ban dog and cat meat. I agree that all animals should be treated with dignity - that goes without question but frankly, we need to take a look at the way we treat our farm animals before judging others. Governments have a role in ensuring all animals are not abused and individuals should put their money where there mouth is and support organizations like the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and ask questions about where their animal products are coming from. I do.
18 March 2010 12:31PM springblossom Report this comment
I am a chinese living in Asia, I honestly hate those people who eat dog or cat meats, I don't believe it helps in any way in terms of medication. I sincerely hope the chinese will stop eating dots and cats, it's so inhuman.
19 March 2010 1:31PM c1ee Report this comment
That image was so tame. Am I meant to be offended by a cooked dog? Anyways, who are we to judge other people's culture? Should we judge what is right or wrong by how offended we feel about things? Then should we evaluate whether women wearing bikinis is wrong, even if it offends a lot of conservative people? Meat is meat. If we go down this path, pretty soon the only animals left will be cutesy looking baby pup seals.
22 March 2010 10:09AM poptarts Report this comment
I am against the ban, prodominantly for the reasons most other people have out lined it is a cultural tradition that needs to be preserves and a personal choice. No one is forcing you to eat it! I agree that the living conditions need to be carefully controlled, as do all food animals. I feel that I must point out this statment "On the other hand, many people believe that eating domesticated animals is cruel and barbaric" is completely wrong. I believe you mean companion animals, not domesticated animals. Cows, sheep, chickens and pigs are all domesticated from earlier animals (infact after dogs, cows are the oldest domesticate animal, much more domesticated infact than cats). :)
25 April 2010 5:43PM stringhimup Report this comment
Dog and cat is tasty. Same as beef or rabbit. Just because one is not accustomed to a specific meat choice doesn't mean that given person should detest it. Secondly think about the environmental impact the fore mentioned four legged edibles have on our eco systems. Food for thought (so to say ;D Heck I'm surprised Bob Parker doesn't eat dog or cat. What a spokes person he'd be for the case eh!
1 May 2010 10:34AM blountore Report this comment
There's 1.5 billion people in China, if they wanna eat dogs and cats let them, who cares. Like stringhimup said: it's better for the environment anyway. As long as they're killed humanely it's no different than eating a pig (which are also very intelligent animals).
In addition, let's see how much you people care about whether it's 'right' or 'wrong' when you're living on $1 a day; which many Chinese do.
12 May 2010 6:31PM 3ricl33 Report this comment
As a overseas Chinese I believe eating dog meats is a part of my culinary culture. Many Western culture believes that eating dog is babaric and the Chinese government trys to improve their image by secraficing our traditions. This is nothing short of a cultural invasion. If they enforce the law, then the government is a coward is surronder (Look at Japan and their whaling activity, they don't give a damn about what other countries think <I am not saying I support the slaughter of whale. I am an ecologist and whale is a keystone species in the ocean which makes it wrong to kill>).
12 May 2010 6:31PM 3ricl33 Report this comment
Don't get me wrong, I think it is essential to legislate the trading of dof meat, like minimum cage size, humane killing and hygenic processing of the meat. People who loves dogs should keep their love to their pet dog, not our food dog. Just because so many people have dog as pet doesn't mean the only reason you can raise a dog is to have it as a pet; dog owners who objects people eating dog is acting under the might is right assumption.
6 June 2011 4:28AM betheirvoice Report this comment
any creature who is TORTURED for" cultural tradition" is indeed going against life in general. There is no respect or humility in a cultural act that consist of being brutal to an innocent creature. Especially creatures that are beloved in many countries including their own. This is not about pushing beliefs or morality on anyone, its simply taking a stand away from ignorance. Asians must learn to respect the rapidly changing way of life meaning cats and dogs are not accepted by reason as food. I believe a ban should take place it is necessary for these countries to civilize and understand just because it was culture thousands of years ago doesn't mean it should be accepted as wicked as it is in itself. The human race must grow by improvement and change. If we cannot leave old ways behind we won't ever improve as a human race.
6 June 2011 4:37AM betheirvoice Report this comment
I've seen many gruesome videos of animals/ pets in China being viciously SKINNED ALIVE and beaten to death! That is NOT culture! Culture is something to be proud of because it is a sign of improvement. I see NO pride in a human being looking into the eyes of a defenseless creature, tying it up knowing its too afraid and shocked to fight back and tearing it to pieces because, " it taste better that way." Come on now, there should be no excuses or justification for actions like this and yes we do have the right to judge. Without proper judging we'd still be living in the stone age without laws or limits on how to live!
18 October 2011 12:21AM elliskelly Report this comment
I am all for the ban of dog and cat meat it is simply unacceptable. For all the people in favour of keeping this disgusting "tradition" alive I suggest you should do your research before you comment to stop yourself showing your ignorance. Unfortunately dogs and cats are kept and transported to their death in horrific conditions, with many suffocating from the crammed cages packing in as many dogs as possiible. They live in cramped cages, starving and mistreated. When they are slaughtered due to some sick, pathetic idea an animal that is tortoured and tourmented prior to and during death is seen as being tastier meat due to the adrenaline the dog releases from fear, terror and pain. These dogs are boiled alive, skinned alive, burned alive, stabbed, beaton and any other cruel,sadistic method you can think of in order for "fragrent" meat. Such cruelty is not a "tradition" but an excuse used by cruel people and backwards culture and a method for criminals to make money in this trade.
18 October 2011 12:29AM elliskelly Report this comment
To 3ricl33 I must ask as part of your tradition do you also believe that to make the meat tastier you must terrorise and make the animal suffer? Is this a tradition to be proud of? really? It seems integral to the dog meat trade to make dog meat tastier, which kind of contradicts your comments on cage size/humain treatment. As you and I know that will never happen as in this "traditional heritage" the more suffering the better. As a civilised, caring human being I would be ashamed to have this as a tradition. It is only people like yourself who have no respect for the suffering of innocent animals that see this as something to be saved. Disgusting!!!