This month’s guest blog post comes from dog lover and pet care enthusiast Olivia Williams. Olivia describes the shocking reality of the dog meat trade…
In certain parts of the world, man’s best friend can actually end up on the plates of a starving family or even a group of people having a party.
In China alone, about 20 million dogs are butchered and served as various delicacies every year. Another 10 million or so are slaughtered across Asia. And while some may say that the needs of the family is more important than the needs of animals, is it really necessary that man’s best friend be at the receiving end of such brutality?
The Dog Meat Trade
Millions of dogs are cramped in decrepit, rusting cages, and unable to stretch let alone move about. Many are force-fed with tubes inserted down the dog’s throat, oesophagus, and stomach then filled with fluids to make them weigh heavier. The heavier they are, the higher their price.
Dog don’t only suffer from being force-fed and packed in unsanitary conditions.
They are also transported in trucks like some heap of garbage ready for disposal. Many of these dogs don’t make it to their destinations as they eventually die because of heatstroke, dehydration, or suffocation right in the very same trucks that are supposed to deliver them to the dog meat market.
But this doesn’t spare them from ending up in some kitchen as a few folks will still cook them up even when dog has already been long gone before they are prepared for the dinner table.
The implications of the dog meat trade are immense. It’s a largely unregulated industry that is characterized by unsanitary meat processing practices.
The incidence of food-borne infections is thus high. Individuals who eat these meats are at risk of cholera and trichinellosis. Dogs packed in cages and trucks can eventually contract rabies that can also endanger the very same people who handle them.
Dogs clearly don’t deserve this. They have been man’s companion for many millennia. They assist man in his daily pursuits, guard his home and property, and provide unconditional love and compassion when no else would. It’s about time to stand up to the illegal dog meat trade.
If you want to help put an end to the dog meat trade, please sign the following petition from Change.org by clicking here.
Excellent post – thank you for raising awareness and for the fantastic infographic too. Puts so much into perspective. After living in northern Vietnam earlier this year and witnessing the horror of the dog meat trade first-hand, I can’t praise this article enough.
Thank you so much for taking the time to read the post and comment.The treatment of dogs and cats for the meat trade is utterly deplorable! I was shocked to find what really goes on, and have shared other posts in the past focussing specifically on Yulin festival: https://kateonconservation.com/2016/07/18/dog_meat_industry/
Please feel free to share with others to help raise awareness of the trade. x