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Dog meat is said to raise the internal heat, and therefore be a good warming up meal in the winter. In some parts of China it is also seen as good luck during certain times of the year. In Vietnam and Korea it is seen as an affordable and plentiful food source. Even in the rural Swiss cantons of Appenzell and St. Gallen are known to have had a tradition of eating dogs, curing dog meat into jerky and sausages, as well as using the lard for medicinal purposes.
For those of us who are taken aback by this, the question is; Is it simply our own cultural bias, or is there something inherently wrong with eating Lassie?
The answer I argue is this. Due to the way that the dog came into existence eating them is not only wrong, but can perhaps be deemed immoral. Let me explain. It is thought that the current lineage of dogs was domesticated as early as 15,000 years ago. They were our first domesticated animal. Did we domesticate them for food? The canid is a carnivore, so domesticating an animal you will have to feed with meat, for meat, would certainly be counterproductive. And the evidence does not point to this. Many early human burials are found to be besides those of their beloved dogs.
What this means is that, the current dog itself would not exist had we eaten its ancestors early on. Our relationship and bond, has literally molded them into the animal they are today. We (or perhaps evolutionary pressure) favored those dogs which were more docile, loyal, trusting and intelligent. For thousands upon thousands of years we have through our mutual relationship developed the animal it is today. Since they are born it is in their DNA to seek affection, approval, and interaction with human beings. To take advantage of such a history, or to simply disregard it is, I argue objectively wrong.
But would your dog eat you? It has been observed that when a dog owner dies alone in his/her home and there is no one notified, the pet dogs will not eat the human until the brink of death by starvation is a very real threat. This, is akin to what humans who are faced with survival situations are often forced to do.
Of course Not all humans would go that route, and neither too would all dogs:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/1782603.stm
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worl...six-weeks.html
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