Eating dog meat is sick

Hi, thanks again for your thoughts.When I say that humans recognize dogs as having human-like traits, that isn't really a statement about dogs at all. It's a statement about humans. It's not so much a "common bias" as a widespread element of human culture. The difference between dogs and pigs that makes pigs edible and dogs taboo, is not anything inherent to pigs or to dogs, such as intelligence or emotions. Rather, it is something inherent to humans.As humans, we do recognize emotions, socialization and feelings in animals--in fact, having the elite pattern-matching minds that we have, it's not unusual for us to anthropomorphize feelings that aren't actually there, right? And for those who hold the view that chickens really are somehow relatable to humans, it would probably be a more-ethical choice, maybe even the only to avoid eating chickens, too. But most of us do not, nor ever have had chickens as life-companions.And that is really the most significant element of the distinction. When we as humans think of cows, we don't think of mothers who miss their babies, of curious gossips with their own personalities and stories and bovine emotions. Instead, generally speaking, we think of 800 lbs of hamburger in a leather bag.For chickens or pigs, it's the same. We don't have familial sentiment toward chickens. They're social, and when the cluck a certain way or strut a certain way, we may find something we can relate to from a human perspective, but for the most part, they're profoundly different. They are family dinner, with feathers and a tiny chicken-brain that gets them into comical trouble.Dogs, on the other hand, we think of differently, don't we? Who hasn't had a family pet that they taught tricks? Who hasn't had a happy companion barking eagerly and jumping around to greet them when they come home? Who hasn't had, or at least known a friend who had, a dear canine friend that they mourned for months or years after losing? When we show respect to the species of dogs by abstaining from eating them, we aren't just making a statement about hygiene or taste, we are making a statement about humanity. Humanity keeps dogs as companions in a way that no other animal could be so honored. (Some, like cats or horses, may come close--and for that reason, probably best not to eat cats or horses either). When we are sickened by the thought of eating dog, what we are really saying is that, as humans, we are sickened by the thought of eating a companion; if not an actual companion, at least something we recognize as a potential companion.But in addition to that, let's think about the conditions in which dogs are raised for meat. You're familiar, aren't you, about some of the horrid conditions that meat animals are raised in in the US, aren't you? Feedlots and hog farms are not known for taking extra-good care of their animals, are they? On the contrary, they're known for crowded conditions and borderline lethal levels of everything sick and disgusting that an animal can tolerate without sacrificing meat-production efficiency. This is in the U.S.. Dogs that are raised for meat are raised overseas, typically in countries with more lax enforcement of food standards than found in U.S. agriculture. Dogs raised for meat are almost certainly living in their own feces (and likely eating plenty of it). When they're transported to market, they are often stacked on top of one another, crammed so tightly into a cage that they cannot all stand on the floor.That is, the ones that are farmed. Dogs raised as companions are not exempt from being taken as meat, too. [1] Whether as a "retirement" for unwanted dogs, or even a sad and bitter end for stolen companions, the story is the same: in the rare places where it is acceptable to eat dog meat, pet dogs get eaten, too.That brings us back to the best reason to avoid eating dogs: Dogs are companions to humans. That is their place in human culture. In the best case, eating dog is degrading to the moral part of us which would be sensitive to harming companions. But even more alarming, is the cold fact that when we eat dogs, we contribute to a market demand that leads to actual human-companion dogs being turned into meals, as well. In the repulsive worst case, eating a dog without being absolutely certain of its provenance, you might even be eating a beloved pet. Better to avoid the risk of that, as well as the moral degradation and discomfort of participating at all in such a gruesome activity.1. Hyams, J. (January 15, 2015). "Former pets slaughtered for dog meat across Korea". The Korea Observer. http://www.koreaobserver.com...