Dog Meat Festival! ... Yummy Yummy?

[kenny]

I wouldn't try it.
I'm honestly torn.

I have no problem eating other animals.
I couldn't eat a dog, but I feel bad having to admit that I have no reason.
I'm irrational on this one.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-36583400

Partial Snip:

"An annual dog meat festival has begun in southern China, amid widespread domestic and international opposition.
About 10,000 dogs and cats are expected to be killed and eaten during the controversial 10-day festival in Yulin.
Activists say the event is cruel, and this year a petition calling for it to be banned collected 11 million signatures.
The local government says the festival does not have official backing but is staged by private businesses.
What is the festival about?
The Lychee and Dog Meat Festival sees people gathering in Yulin to sample dog meat hotpot, lychee fruits and local liquor.
A tradition of eating dog meat dates back some 500 years in China, South Korea and other countries, where many believe it wards off the heat in summer months.
However the Yulin festival, celebrated during the summer solstice, is a relatively new one, beginning only in recent years.
What happens to the animals?"

 

[Gypsy]

I am very unhappy I clicked on this thread.

I hope they all die of food poisoning.

 

[Trekkie]

While I personally would not eat dog meat, I see no problem with it.

I regularly eat crocodile, ostrich, warthog and venison. I have eaten (and enjoyed!) pigeon, elephant and giraffe.

I understand that some people might have issue with eating what is perceived to be a companion animal but the dog meat enjoyed at this festival is from dog breeds specifically raised to be eaten, not unlike raising cattle or bison.

I have had friends who have kept sheep, pigs and chickens as pets while enjoying mutton, bacon and KFC yet balk at the thought of eating dog meat, and frankly, I find that stance hypocritical.

The average dog owner who says they won't eat dog meat? I just shrug my shoulders and move on.

 

[Arcadian]

It's a different part of the world, and a different culture. Though I have to say that maybe its the same for those who have pet pigs (I do indeedy love bacon ) My other half's sister has bunnies. And plenty of times I've eaten bunnies ( and I've seen the farm raised variety at my local grocery store).

I've eaten plenty of wild and domestic animals in my lifetime, hunted plenty of it too. A hunter has a duty to make a quick and clean kill so the animal doesn't suffer. I'd tell the story about the turkey hunt but hmm maybe not the place for it.

I've read over the years that at this particular festival they torture the dogs to make the meat taste better, and that's something I'm totally against. I hope that isn't true. I'm also not rational when it comes to dogs (my dog in particular) but again its a different world out there beyond these shores.

 

[sonnyjane]

It's a different part of the world, and a different culture. Though I have to say that maybe its the same for those who have pet pigs (I do indeedy love bacon ) My other half's sister has bunnies. And plenty of times I've eaten bunnies ( and I've seen the farm raised variety at my local grocery store).

I've eaten plenty of wild and domestic animals in my lifetime, hunted plenty of it too. A hunter has a duty to make a quick and clean kill so the animal doesn't suffer. I'd tell the story about the turkey hunt but hmm maybe not the place for it.

I've read over the years that at this particular festival they torture the dogs to make the meat taste better, and that's something I'm totally against. I hope that isn't true. I'm also not rational when it comes to dogs (my dog in particular) but again its a different world out there beyond these shores.

The torture part is absolutely true. I will NOT post pictures but one can find them easily. This is a horrible event.

That said, the torture the dogs experience is similar to what factory farmed cows, chickens, pigs etc. experience, which is why I don't eat any of it.

 

[charleston1]

Kenny, it is not irrational at all as it is much different.

Many of the dogs are stolen family pets who are then tortured.

I don't want to get into the details of the torture but it is definitely not the way animals are killed for meat consumption, it is not quick.

 

[kenny]

I've read over the years that at this particular festival they torture the dogs to make the meat taste better ...

OH! Let me un-hear that!

 

[Lady_Disdain]

I have no problem with dog meat, just as I have no problem with pigs, rabbits, lambs, goats, etc, that can be just as intelligent and companionable pets. I have a huge problem with some movements that try to stop that (how would we like it if people from another country tried to ban our beef because it is sacred or pork because it is dirty?).

I do not condone animal cruelty, be it cow, chicken or dog. The stolen pet, however, is something of an urban legend to spark outrage. Something as in I am sure it can happen but it isn't the norm. As Trekkie said, there are particular breeds for food.

 

[monarch64]

I have no problem with dog meat, just as I have no problem with pigs, rabbits, lambs, goats, etc, that can be just as intelligent and companionable pets. I have a huge problem with some movements that try to stop that (how would we like it if people from another country tried to ban our beef because it is sacred or pork because it is dirty?).

I do not condone animal cruelty, be it cow, chicken or dog. The stolen pet, however, is something of an urban legend to spark outrage. Something as in I am sure it can happen but it isn't the norm. As Trekkie said, there are particular breeds for food.

Jamaica will not accept/import chicken from the United States due to the use of antibiotics and hormones in the industry. I learned this when speaking to a restaurateur there several years ago. Most of Jamaican livestock is totally free range (like no fences, out in the road free range) so it's easy to see why they would be adverse to American factory-farmed poultry. ETA: lots of countries have banned U.S. meat/fish/poultry because of our farming practices.

According to this article, there are 44 states in America that have no laws against consuming cats and dogs. Apparently laws weren't made against it because it hasn't been a problem. Hmm. http://inhabitat.com/killing-dogs-and-cats-for-meat-is-still-legal-in-44-u-s-states/

I don't eat any type of meat, so I have no dog in this fight.

 

[momhappy]

Eating dogs is not something that I would do, but I wouldn't spite someone for it. Although I understand why the thought of eating dog meat is not appealing, it would be hypocritical of me (as a meat eater) to say that it's ok to eat cows, chickens, fish, etc., but not dogs. It's a cultural difference and I respect that. And as far as the possibility of torturing the dogs beforehand, one could easily argue that our cows, chickens, etc. go through their own form of torture when being produced, raised, and processed for consumption.

 

[momhappy]

Kenny, it is not irrational at all as it is much different.

Many of the dogs are stolen family pets who are then tortured.

I don't want to get into the details of the torture but it is definitely not the way animals are killed for meat consumption, it is not quick.

It's not necessarily the way an animal is killed - it's the way they are treated when living. Many cows, pigs, chickens, etc. here in the US experience various forms of torture for months (or maybe even years) before eventually being slaughtered.

 

[iluvshinythings]

I have weird phobias about eating meat in general so I'd never eat a dog or a cat. I'm allergic to fish and shellfish and I only eat beef, chicken and turkey in small quantities. I'd do well following a kosher diet but I don't have any religious reasons for doing so. I've tried pork, venison, elk, buffalo, snake, rabbit, alligator, lamb and goat but just couldn't get over myself and enjoy any of it. I think my problem might be a form of OCD.

But back to dogs and cats.... Even without my food problems, I couldn't eat an animal that could be a pet. I don't think people who eat other meats are bad, but it's not for me. I stick my head in the sand when it comes to thinking about how the meat I do eat is raised and prepared for market. I'd be horrified if I knew.

 

[sonnyjane]

Kenny, it is not irrational at all as it is much different.

Many of the dogs are stolen family pets who are then tortured.

I don't want to get into the details of the torture but it is definitely not the way animals are killed for meat consumption, it is not quick.

It's not necessarily the way an animal is killed - it's the way they are treated when living. Many cows, pigs, chickens, etc. here in the US experience various forms of torture for months (or maybe even years) before eventually being slaughtered.

Thank you for explicitly saying what I was hinting at in my post earlier. Evidence of animal cruelty on American factory farms is a dime a dozen. How someone can watch some of the hidden footage of animals being skinned alive, forklifted around, sitting in filth in a cage so small that they can't even stand or turn around in with festering wounds and broken bones, just being kept alive long enough to make it to the slaughterhouse, and not see that as "torture" is beyond me. I wish more people were explicitly aware of where their food comes from.

 

[momhappy]

^yes. I looked up some more info (which also included some pictures) of the dog meat festival and although it was disturbing, it didn't look that much different than a southern pig pickin' where the whole hog is cooked up crispy and offered up on a platter for human consumption. Again, I wouldn't eat dog because I own & adore my dogs, but I can understand how they might be perceived differently in different cultures. I try to buy local meats and eggs (and/or meat that is labeled as being free-range, etc.), but I can say with certainty that I don't know where 100% of my animal food products come from, which means I don't know how humanely/inhumanely they were treated before they made their way to my dinner plate.

 

[PintoBean]

Just because you've been doing it for 500 years doesn't mean it's ok.

Anyone been to a Morrissey concert?

 

[arkieb1]

I've read that many dogs and cats are kept and killed in terrible conditions too, the same with sun bears they cut the paws off and sell them to eat, because they believe they are lucky, and leave the animals alive in a cage bleeding, and monkeys too.

I want to know that any meat I eat was kept and slaughtered in humane conditions. There is a big furore at the moment about Australian cows ending up in Vietnam, (a TV expose with photos of them being hit in the heads several times with sledge hammers) and last night there was one showing the conditions of live exports (cows, sheep and pigs) to Asian countries many of whom drown in their own fecal matter on board the ships. It's terrible. All I can say is if this is the way they treat cows in Asian countries, I can imagine what they do to cats and dogs (I've seen videos of Chinese smashing dogs in the heads with hammers while they scream in pain too so.....) WARNING graphic images of cows suffering in the links;

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2016/s4483472.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2016/s4487220.htm

 

[packrat]

Humans treat animals this way and give it not a second thought. And we think *we're* better than animals? Hell, we treat each other in similar manners and believe we have the right to defend our actions.

I can't say anything. I eat meat. Not a lot, I'd rather eat pasta, but I still eat it. I have my own weird meat issues and can't stand the smell or sight of it at times and want to vomit when I see the semi's go by hauling the animals b/c I don't like how they're transported. Gotta make that extra buck tho, right? The all mighty dollar rules all. And yanno, heaven forbid we not have everything available the instant we want it. But, not everyone is equipped to grow their own food, and not everyone has access to or can afford, the best of the best, this cow was raised in our backyard and fed only organic grasses and Evian water.

The idea of cats and dogs, no, I can't bring myself to even entertain the idea. I like cats and dogs better than most people so no I won't eat them. A different culture tho, I can't fault that. Dad tried dog meat in Vietnam. I don't remember if he said he didn't care for it or it was "eh, ok".

 

[momhappy]

Just because you've been doing it for 500 years doesn't mean it's ok.

Anyone been to a Morrissey concert?

But just because one might live in a culture that doesn't eat dog meat, doesn't mean that it's not okay in another culture.
And, again, I'm not dressing the ethical/unethical treatment of animals - I'm just addressing the actual practice of eating meat (and what constitutes as an acceptable source).

 

[kenny]

Just because you've been doing it for 500 years doesn't mean it's ok.

Anyone been to a Morrissey concert?

But just because one might live in a culture that doesn't eat dog meat, doesn't mean that it's not okay in another culture.
And, again, I'm not dressing the ethical/unethical treatment of animals - I'm just addressing the actual practice of eating meat (and what constitutes as an acceptable source).

So, how exactly does one decide what is okay for another culture to do, and what is not?

 

[momhappy]

^I don't have an answer for that, but I certainly wouldn't tell someone that they shouldn't eat dog when I eat cows, pigs, chickens, and fish.

 

[PintoBean]

^I don't have an answer for that, but I certainly wouldn't tell someone that they shouldn't eat dog when I eat cows, pigs, chickens, and fish.

I love your responses, momhappy! You make me think and make me strive to find better ways to express myself and try to step outside the box and think outside of MY norm.

 

[momhappy]

This is an interesting read:
http://reappropriate.co/2016/06/misguided-protesters-target-nycs-chinatown-over-dog-meat-festival-in-china/

 

[momhappy]

^I don't have an answer for that, but I certainly wouldn't tell someone that they shouldn't eat dog when I eat cows, pigs, chickens, and fish.

I love your responses, momhappy! You make me think and make me strive to find better ways to express myself and try to step outside the box and think outside of MY norm.

Thanks, Pinto, but I definitely struggle with expressing myself appropriately - I am routinely reminded that others can speak much more eloquently even when we are saying the same things!

 

[NOYFB]

I am very unhappy I clicked on this thread.

I hope they all die of food poisoning.

This X10000.

 

[sonnyjane]

^I don't have an answer for that, but I certainly wouldn't tell someone that they shouldn't eat dog when I eat cows, pigs, chickens, and fish.

That's correct, which is 100% why I gave up eating meat. I was (and still am, obviously) opposed to the commercial slaughter of whales, bush meat, etc. and the only way for me to be able to oppose that without hypocrisy was to stop consuming animals.

 

[kenny]

^I don't have an answer for that, but I certainly wouldn't tell someone that they shouldn't eat dog when I eat cows, pigs, chickens, and fish.

Here's how I draw the line on how I feel about what happens in other cultures.
I just check in with myself.

Burying the bottom half of a woman in the ground, having the village men form a circle around her to stone her death because she married a man the family didn't approve of ? ... not okay.
Oh, but that's what that culture's done for hundreds of years.
I don't give a fvkc..
It's 100% absolutely wrong.

Eating dog raised for food and killed humanely ... meh, I wouldn't do it, but it's not as bad as the former.

I'm the judge; I take responsibility for the lines I draw.
We all do this.
We like X less than Y; it's that simple.
I'm just honest enough about being arrogant, self-righteous to admit it.

In the second post of this thread Gypsy draws a different line than I do.
But I respect her for stating her stand in a self-confident way.

 

[Rockinruby]

I am very unhappy I clicked on this thread.

I hope they all die of food poisoning.

i agree with Gypsy. I wish I hadn't clicked on this thread. I knew about the festival, but always avoided posting about it since we have so many animal lovers here. The belief that torturing the dogs makes the meat better just makes me sick. Pets being stolen to die like this is awful too. I honestly wish this thread subject line wasn't so visible today plus the "yummy" comment makes me sad.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/three-ways-you-can-protest-chinas-notorious-yulin-dog-meat-festival/
https://action.hsi.org/ea-action/action?ea.client.id=104&ea.campaign.id=38221