Apparently dog meat in Beijing has been ordered off restaurant menus for the Olympics.
I stumbled upon a blog post today which I think is an excellent compilation of facts, figures and photos about this topic. The visual images in particular were both hypnotic and provoking for me. Don't just skim thru - please take a moment and visit the link below and judge for yourself before you read on.
OK - so you've looked at the link above - yes? - good....So the question is, are the Chinese or any other country to be considered cruel and barbaric for eating dogs? My gut reaction says - "HELL YES!" and I know a few of the commenters here are dog owners and would most likely resolutely agree. I'd be tempted to throw a few of the howling brigade on the barbie but that's just a fleeting thought and rest assured I'd never follow thru.
But let me ask you this - why is it ok to eat a pig or a lamb or a cow but not eat a dog? "Oh come on" - I hear you say, dogs are domesticated pets and man's most loyal servant so you just can't compare. How can you NOT compare?
George Clooney was walking around with his precious pet pig until it went to hog heaven. Gordon Ramsey had a pet lamb and publicised it's slaughter on TV (as a bit of a ratings gimmick in my opinion). Jamie Oliver did a similar stunt before that. Cultural differences are huge with regard to this fact and shocking as it may seem, one man's best friend is anothers favourite dish.
I received the following email from a reader after my post about Argentinian Meat & Veg. I barely gave it a second thought at the time till I read the above dog eating link.
"Dear Quickroute, Just wanted to let you that I removed your blog from my blogroll, as well as another blog.
I'm a very strict vegetarian and prefer not to support blogs with pictures and blogs posts about meat.
No offence, regards,
Veggie"
Quite frankly, I doubt I'll ever become a vegetarian, but if you are a meat eater and disgusted by the photos in the above linked post about eating dogs, hopefully you will have gained, as I have, a better appreciation of the veggie point of view. Our ability to disassociate (a.k.a blank out or simply not care) what we eat and where it came from is somewhat scary.
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The song "Puppy love" came on the radio as I was reading this. Very surreal.
ReplyDeleteI'm off to Beijing on Monday. I think I'd like to spend an evening in "Dog Meat King". Sounds like a classy joint.
As a dog owner I always feel very uneasy when I read something like that.
ReplyDeleteI just don't think we have the right to judge another culture by our own moral standards, we think we are so civilised because we don't slit a goats' throat while it's still alive, or kill wild boar with a bow and arrow, we're even known to put lobsters in the freezer to stun them before we throw them into a pot of boiling water, doesn't that make us hypocrites?
We kill animals to eat them, there is no other way to say it, it just seems to me that we are at a stage in our evolution that we have started to question not only the methods of slaughter, and the conditions that the beasts are kept in beforehand, but also the reasons for eating semi domesticated animals too.
It's an emotive subject, but I don't see why they should remove anything from menus.
I always found this disturbing but as much as I love dogs, if they eat cows and other animals why do ppl judge the Chinese for eating dogs?! Ppl always ask me why I became vegetarian or pescatarian, they assume its because of religious or moral reasons and the truth is that I just can't stand the smell of red meat or pork. The only meat I tolerated as kid was chicken and fish, but when I was still living in Asia the bird flue broke out and I gave up chicken for good and to be honest it has been the best choice I've made to date, at least for me personally.
ReplyDeletei had dog in vietnam. it's not that good.
ReplyDeleteI'm not surprised the chinese ordered it off the menu but i'm sure it will end up somewhere.
I will have to think about this, because I'm definitely not a vegetarian.
ReplyDeleteI don't think I could bring myself to eat dog, though.
Both my brothers worked in pork-processing plants for a while in college. They didn't eat bacon for quite some time afterward but are back at it these days.
I'll be seeing them tonight and am definitely going to bring this subject up. After dinner, though.
I'm a very strict vegetarian and prefer not to support blogs with pictures and blogs posts about meat
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it just so funny for me reading it.
being vegetarian has nothing to do with a so called 'meat blog' in your blogroll
I'm a meatisaurus although the current price of meat over here has made it less frequent on the menu. I also am a dog lover but anyone who's been to these countries will realise that dogs aren't necessarily treated in the same way. Hey the Bolivians eat guinea pigs and the japanese whales . . .in countries where cattle production is low, I guess dog is a viable alternative. Not for me tho! I prefer my meat sanitised and having no resemblence to it's former self . . yep, shallow and hypocritical . .
ReplyDeleteI wrote about this on my own blog once, the contradiction between saying it's okay to eat meat but on the other hand not wanting to eat certain animals like cats, dogs, guinea pigs etc. Why is pig okay but dog not okay? As a veggie of course, I don't need to explain such puzzles!
ReplyDeleteI'd like to try Dog, just another meat, I guess it'd have to be a puppy to ensure a tender cut.
ReplyDeleteI'm not saying I'm going to cook one!
I'll never look at my best friend the same.
ReplyDeleteNot in a rush to eat a hounder I have to say, I guess it is the whole "man's best friend" thing, it's halfway to cannibalism or something. Still, pigs can be very friendly and have plenty of personality too. I agree though, people in general need to have a better appreciation for where their meat comes from. It does not magically appear in Tesco in a plastic container swimming in a bit of blood because it hasn't bee hung properly, It's been through a whole process from field (if it was lucky) to sharp and boody place to supermarket.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the plug and for bringing more awareness to this issue.
ReplyDeleteMmmmm.
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It's all about perspective.
I've no doubt there are situations where I would have no qualms about nomming on a jack russell.
At the same time I couldn't eat meat for a month after first seeing 'Babe'.
What's my point? not a clue.
Well I went to veggie's blog and you should have seen what they were doing to carrots! Beastly...
ReplyDeleteWell I've been a veggie for twenty years now so personally I don't see any difference between eating cow, pig, dog, crocodile.. why you can even transplant a pig's heart into a human - the make up of the meat just isn't all that different. That said I believe each to their own - anyone can eat what they want or not eat what they don't like the idea of!
ReplyDeleteAnd I am proud to have your blogged linked to mine by the way :-)
@ Shaunj Very surreal indeed. Look forward to the trip report from Beijing!
ReplyDelete@ queen of clean: There certainly do seem to be double standards and yes removing dog meat from the menu is like hiding your TV when the license inspector comes. Pretty pointless.
@ Lover of Nature: There are so many different reasons a veggie is a veggie, moral or just taste etc. With the current problems with bird flu, mad cow disease being passed to humans, it really makes you sit up and think.
@ Nomadic Matt: I'd probably try it if I was there - just to say 'been there - done that!" - doubt it would be on my fav list though!
@ Megan: My cousin did the same job and went of pork too. I think when you start to visualise the slaughter with cooked ham it brings the truth all home.
@ devari: Welcome! I guess some people are more fanatical about a point of view or a way of life. Who am I to judge!
@ Baino: It's all about perspective and culture as to what's normal. Guinea Pig? Well I never!
@ Nick: Yep - Exactly my point. I had a feeling you would have broached it before me.
@ roy: Try a Hot Dog to start with and let us know how you get on with the rest!
@ Blog Bloke: I know I've been taking a double take every time I see a dog.
@ Thriftcriminal: Exactly - just a better education of how it goes from the farm to your plate would be nice to have.
@ fastfastlane: You're Welcome and thanks for a great article to motivate me.
@ Xbox4NappyRash: Many of us are conditioned from a young age to eat meat (even dog). Some folks just recondition themselves and good on them I say.
@ VE: LOL - Diced or shredded? No-no don't tell me - I don't want to know!
@ conortje: I agree neither side should impose on or judge the other side. Ditto on the blogroll!
Hello! Got here late, but I thought Queenie put it very well. Poor Bert's gibbering under the table though - that link was V graphic wasn't it x
ReplyDelete@ English Mum: Yes those photos gave me the heebie geebies! Thanks for dropping by.
ReplyDeleteI will never become a vegetarian, I love meat. However, I love animals more. I'm one of those hypocritical people that just conveniently "forget" where the meat comes from and slap it on the grill for a medium rare treat. I would like to say a few words against those that eat dog but I can't. This is something that has been in their culture for hundreds of years. I work with many Hindus who would most likely think it criminal to slaughter a cow but they don't complain to me.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures were disturbing.....actually the one with the live dogs crammed in the cages was the most disturbing.
I would like to thank VE for his light-hearted comment. Funny!
@ Queen Goob: They looked like prisoners off to jail or worse. Brings the message home though.
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