Buzz
What one culture deems a culinary delight, another may find utterly repulsive. This is especially true for the consumption of dog meat, a practice virtually nonexistent in the United States but prevalent in several countries worldwide. These ten facts delve into the historical and modern-day aspects of this controversial practice, blending the grotesque with the cultural, guaranteed to provoke strong reactions.
10. A Crisis of Belief
In Japan, eating dog meat is widely considered taboo today, but this wasn’t always the case. Before the 6th century, the practice was more accepted. However, with the introduction of Buddhism from Korea, a belief emerged that consuming meat could mean inadvertently eating reincarnated ancestors. It wasn’t until 675 A.D. that Emperor Tenmu issued a decree banning the consumption of meat, including dog. This prohibition lasted until 1868, when Emperor Meiji sought to modernize Japan by lifting centuries-old dietary restrictions.
The shift sparked outrage among devout Buddhists, who saw the consumption of dog meat and other four-legged animals as a moral transgression. On February 18, 1872, a group of furious Buddhist monks stormed the Imperial Palace, demanding accountability for what they viewed as a national sin. Their protest ended in tragedy, with half the monks killed by the Imperial Army. Despite their fervent belief that meat consumption was eroding Japan’s spiritual essence, the Emperor’s reforms prevailed. Today, meat is as common in Japanese diets as sushi, though dog meat never regained its historical significance.
9. On the Verge of Disappearing Forever
The Xoloitzcuintli, commonly known as the Xolo or 'Mexican Hairless Dog,' is among the oldest dog breeds, with a history spanning over 3,000 years. In ancient Mexico, the Mayans revered these dogs, believing they could bridge the gap between the living and the afterlife. According to their beliefs, the Xolo would guide the deceased through the dark underworld to the gates of heaven. To ensure this spiritual journey, the Mayans would sacrifice the Xolo and bury it alongside its deceased owner, symbolizing the start of their eternal voyage.
The Aztecs, on the other hand, held a different spiritual view. They sacrificed Xolo puppies as offerings to Tlaloc, the rain god. Over time, their rituals evolved, and they began consuming the puppies in ceremonial feasts. Due to the Xolo's small size, the Aztecs would fatten them up before the rituals, believing that a larger dog would yield more meat and greater spiritual benefits. Centuries of such practices pushed this unique breed to the edge of extinction.
By the 1950s, only a few Xolos remained, catching the attention of Norman Pelham Wright, a British military attaché in Mexico City. Intrigued by the breed, Wright and a group of enthusiasts embarked on a mission to remote villages to locate breeding pairs and save the Xolo from extinction. This effort, known as the 'Xolo Expedition of 1954,' proved successful. Within two years, the Xolo gained recognition in Mexico and was eventually honored as the 'Official Dog of Mexico.'
8. A Game of Chance
Despite its repugnance, consuming dog meat poses significant health risks. For instance, in Vietnam, where 5 million dogs are eaten annually, around 30% of deaths in 2007 were linked to rabies-contaminated dog meat. In 2008, 20% of dogs in Hoai Duc slaughterhouses tested positive for the virus, yet the demand for dog meat persists. The Centers for Disease Control notes that fewer than 20 people have ever survived rabies, making the statistics even more alarming.
In the Philippines, approximately 300 people die annually from rabies due to dog meat consumption, including those who handle and slaughter the animals. The lack of oversight is a major issue, as the National Meat Inspection Commission does not inspect dog meat, a fact openly admitted by its regional director. Beyond rabies, other risks include salmonella, E. coli, anthrax, hepatitis, cholera, and even Ebola. Compounding the problem, dogs kept in unsanitary conditions are often pumped with antibiotics, fostering the rise of drug-resistant superbugs. According to the Review on Antimicrobial Resistance, these superbugs could kill 10 million people annually by 2050, posing a grave threat to global health.
7. Streets in Turmoil
Venezuela, once a prosperous nation, has tragically descended into chaos due to political and economic collapse. As the crisis deepens, citizens struggle to survive amid rampant crime, violent protests, and severe shortages of basic necessities like food, medicine, and toiletries. The socialist regime under President Maduro has left the population powerless and desperate.
By 2016, the average Venezuelan had lost 19 pounds unintentionally due to food scarcity. By 2017, 15% of the population, including children, resorted to scavenging through garbage dumps for scraps. That same year, zoo animals began vanishing, stolen and slaughtered by starving locals. Tapirs, peccaries, and buffalo were prime targets. These extreme measures to combat starvation have spilled onto public streets, where desperate acts occur in broad daylight.
In recent times, Venezuelans have resorted to extreme measures to combat hunger, such as chasing pigeons in city squares and capturing stray dogs for food. Despite the risk of arrest, many continue these practices out of desperation. One shocking example involved photos published in national newspapers showing a man butchering a dog on the streets of Caracas. After the gruesome process, the meat was divided and prepared as the day's only meal. As the crisis persists, the canine population continues to decline, and chaos remains widespread.
6. A Community Torn Apart
Despite global condemnation and protests from local activists, southern China hosts an annual dog meat festival where over 10,000 dogs are slaughtered. This 10-day event, tied to the summer solstice, is marked by extreme cruelty. Many of the dogs, including stolen pets, are crammed into small cages in market squares before meeting their grim fate.
Dogs not already cooked and displayed are often snared with metal hooks and subjected to brutal methods like bludgeoning, boiling, or stabbing to drain their blood. These inhumane acts frequently occur in public, witnessed by other terrified dogs awaiting the same fate. The sight of multiple deaths causes panic among the caged animals, amplifying their suffering.
Residents of Yulin staunchly defend the festival, viewing the buying, selling, and eating of dogs as a cultural tradition. However, dog lovers and activists arrive annually to protest, pleading for mercy or condemning the practice. Some activists go further by intercepting trucks carrying dogs or raiding slaughterhouses to save lives. Over time, their numbers have dwindled due to police intervention aimed at maintaining order in the deeply divided city.
5. Ambiguity in the Law
Considering the extreme cruelty inflicted on these animals, questions arise about the legality of such practices. In South Korea, persistent activism led to the introduction of the Animal Protection Act in May 1991. Although revised in 2007, the law remains vague, with unclear language that fails to provide definitive guidelines. The primary issue isn’t the consumption of dog meat but the brutal methods used, such as strangulation, electrocution, and boiling. While the act prohibits killing dogs “in a cruel way such as hanging,” it does not outright ban their slaughter for food.
Additionally, the law prohibits killing dogs in public spaces or in view of other animals, and it requires a “rational cause” for such actions. However, the lack of clear definitions leaves room for interpretation, allowing meat vendors to exploit loopholes. This ambiguity undermines the act’s effectiveness, as there is no evidence of a decline in dog slaughter. Behind closed doors, compliance with the law remains questionable, rendering it largely ineffective.
4. A Journey Through Hell
History shows the extremes humans will endure to survive, and early Antarctic explorers faced unimaginable hardships. Venturing into the Antarctic in the early 20th century, they battled frostbite, malnutrition, scurvy, and food shortages. Sled dogs, initially used for transportation, often became a vital food source. Sir Douglas Mawson, leader of the Australasian Antarctic Expedition (1911-1913), noted, “In situations where human life is at risk, dogs serve as a crucial emergency food reserve.”
Only 320 miles into their expedition, disaster struck when one of the men fell into a crevasse, taking most of their supplies with him. Facing starvation, Mawson decided to kill the huskies, unaware of the consequences. As previously noted, consuming dog meat carries significant health risks, including disease. Mawson and his companion, Xavier Mertz, suffered from vitamin A poisoning after eating dog liver, leading to severe symptoms like skin fissures, wasting, and dementia. Mertz succumbed to the illness, but Mawson miraculously survived, completing the remaining 100 miles alone. His harrowing journey significantly advanced Antarctic exploration, contributing more to its geographical understanding than any other explorer of his time.
3. Driven to Madness by Hunger
A South Korean farmer, fed up with his neighbor’s dog’s constant barking, took drastic action. Armed with a rock, the 62-year-old man killed the Welsh corgi by ing its head and then strangling it to ensure silence. He later cooked the dog and invited the unsuspecting family, who had been searching for their missing pet, to join him for dinner. After the meal, he revealed the horrifying truth. Shocked and disgusted, the family reported the incident to the authorities.
While shocking, this incident is overshadowed by the actions of Michael Daniel from Texas. Under the influence of the synthetic drug 'spice,' Daniel attacked his housemates and chased a neighbor while growling like an animal. Exhausted, he turned to his housemate’s spaniel mix, beating and strangling the dog before biting off chunks of its flesh. When police arrived, they found Daniel on the porch with blood and fur around his mouth, the dog’s lifeless body in his lap. He was arrested and charged with animal cruelty.
2. A Twist of Fate
Whether due to karma or sheer misfortune, a dog meat vendor in China experienced a grim twist of fate in June 2013. While instructing his team on using a crossbow to kill dogs, the careless vendor accidentally shot himself in the leg with a toxic dart. The potent poison took effect quickly, and he died en route to the hospital. Following this fatal accident, his gang, responsible for slaughtering over 1,000 dogs, was arrested after the death of their inept leader.
Another crossbow-wielding individual met his end in China's Jiangsu province in 2018. Unlike the previous case, this man's fate was sealed by a vengeful dog owner. After finding his pet paralyzed and crying in the street, the owner spotted the dog killer fleeing on a scooter. Enraged, the owner pursued him in his vehicle, ultimately crashing into the man and sending him through a brick wall, killing him instantly. The owner was later arrested and charged with manslaughter.
1. Healing and Cooking with Lard
For over 2,000 years, animals have been used in human medicine, with some practices persisting despite their questionable efficacy. In Southern Europe, dogs have been notably integrated into traditional remedies. Even today, in rural areas of Poland, dogs are slaughtered for unusual medicinal concoctions.
In 2009, Polish police arrested a woman in Czestochowa for selling jars of dog lard as a health supplement. Investigators found 28 dogs, from puppies to St. Bernards, chained and overfed in her farm. Some were so fattened they could no longer walk. The woman claimed the lard had health benefits, even adding it to her daughter's meals.
In Wieliczka, a man was arrested for stealing and killing neighborhood dogs to produce smalec, a traditional Polish lard dish. Upon investigation, it was revealed that the 70-year-old had been abducting pets for five decades. After capturing the animals, he would process their fat and sell it to locals, many of whom had lost their pets under mysterious circumstances. Despite his confession, the Krakow District Court acquitted him, citing that the dogs were “humanely slaughtered for culinary use.”
