Should dog eating be banned?
While most Americans do not eat dogs, folks in other cultures appreciate different proteins sources in their diets. Who are we to judge? Well, apparently, many in North America put on judicial robes each morning and determined that in Korea, dogs should be off the menu for everyone.
Let’s go down that rabbit hole together for a minute…I can say with great certainty that I hope to never eat a dog, or a cat for that matter. But, where do we draw the line? And by we, I mean humanity at large, not just Americans. You see, as circumstances and background change, so do taste and, more importantly, availability.
In many circumstances around the globe, the luxury of protein source discrimination does not exist. Are we comfortable denying a child food when the only protein source available happens to be a creature that we deem off limits? Remember, we deem it such from our first world perch which appropriately implies a downward gaze. Such action makes me more than a little uncomfortable.
Globally speaking, humans are perhaps the most diverse omnivores possible! Thus, when attempting to judge a different culture or an individual for their protein source, I recommend EXTREME caution. Having said that, once again I reiterate, I plan to live my entire life on this planet without ever eating a dog or cat…of any species or breed. I also believe think that any animal intended for food should be treated humanely.
Okay, now that we have that out of the way…previously mentioned North Americans were attempting to do what they deemed to be a good thing and purchase dogs for sale for meat and bring them to North America for adoption or sale as pets. Did you know that one of those rescued dogs brought along a novel-to-North-America canine distemper strain.
This highlights a couple issues:
1. Regulations to prevent dogs bringing in novel pathogens are almost non-existent.
2. It is very easy to bring animal pathogens into the US
3. Our shelters are full of dogs that are in need of rescuing al
You see, keeping dogs from being eaten may be a very noble cause and well-intended, however, I strongly suspect that dogs in shelters that are not lucky enough to have been imported were euthanized that same day as they were not adopted in favor of the imported dog. This is the dilemma presented with “rescue” groups importing stray dogs for sale while American strays still need homes. I urge you to talk with “rescues” that you work with or with your clients about this issue, not only for the potential public and animal health implications, but for the life and death implications for native strays!
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