Dog stew

Food is a substance that holds cultures together. Common foods unify and define countries and regions. However, a meal that a group considers a delicacy,

another group may find it offensive. The French have long been called “frogs” because of their liking for amphibians. The English were once mocked

like “steak” because of its trendsetting use of cattle, and in the Philippines at least one tribe is nicknamed “dog eaters.”

However, the name Dogeaters has not been limited to the Philippines.

The 1988 Seoul Summer Olympics focused the world’s attention on South Korea. An aspect of Korean cuisine that the government preferred not to have highlighted

it was the use of dog meat. A stew for dogs, called Poshintang, is commonly available in restaurants in Seoul and the rest of the country. As an ingredient, dog

it is not as ubiquitous as beef in the United States; It is considered a kind of delicacy. Traditionally, it has been a seasonal favorite, the most popular.

in summer. Dog meat is also claimed to be effective as a male stimulant, increasing sexual stamina, despite the lack of scientific literature.

to back up this claim.

Even before the Olympics, there were concerns that foreign visitors to Seoul might be offended by restaurants offering dog meat. The Ministry of Health and

Welfare ordered measures to prevent such conflict. In 1986, the sale of dog meat as “unseemly” food was banned. The practical result was

that most restaurants in the city limits replaced signs offering dog meat with smaller, less conspicuous versions, or changed the name of the dish to “healthy stew.”

This did not prevent criticism. “How can you trust a nation that will happily eat your best friend to host a little dinner, let alone the Olympics?

Games? “

Despite this kind of pressure, dog meat sales continue. There are plans to open two dog slaughterhouses on Chejun Island, 450 km south of Seoul.

One

The businessman has opened a chain of dog meat restaurants. China Trading, the company behind the new restaurant chain, estimates that there are now around 20,000

dog meat restaurants across the country. It says a restaurant can rake in sales of 10 million won (about $ 6,020) a day during peak dog-eating season.

from April to July.

In the United States, the estimated number of animals euthanized varies between 6 and 150 million per year. If half the number is made up of dogs, that leaves a lot

potential meat to be exported. Legally, the only barrier would be the Animal Welfare Act, a federal law that covers any “living or dead dog, cat, non-human

primate, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, or any other warm-blooded animal that is being used or is intended to be used for research, teaching, testing, experimentation

or display purposes. The USDA interprets the law to exclude birds, rats and mice raised for research, and horses and other farm animals, such as cattle.

and poultry, used or intended for use as food or fiber. “It is conceivable that dogs raised as livestock would also be excluded, once established

that are being raised for food.

Another rule that governs the cattle trade is the “Law of Twenty-eight Hours,” which simply outlines the minimum guidelines for caring for animals as they are.

transported to market. There are certain food, space and water requirements if the transit time exceeds a twenty-eight hour period. If dogs were euthanized

In the US, that would eliminate concerns about these regulations. Shipping meat instead of live animals also avoids the problems associated with

quarantine of live animals.

Although the dog meat market does not appear to be growing at a rapid rate, it is conceivable that US exporters could enter a niche market.

The breed of dog that is raised on farms in Korea and China is a large dog similar in appearance to the German Shepherd. It is difficult to say if the

a variety of breeds in the US would be considered suitable options for the overseas dog meat market. Market research would be necessary.

Initially, it appears that there may be enough demand to support the export of dog meat, however the impediments must be overcome. The voice of the American citizen

it is a factor that should not be underestimated. Grassroots lobbying has great potential to raise public awareness against export efforts. Boycotts of

The company’s family products have the potential to eliminate economic gains from coordinated dog exports.

Because the concept of sending dogs abroad to be eaten can be unpleasant, it is helpful to examine the current state of unwanted dogs to assess our attitudes.

towards the situation.

The SF SPCA claims to be the only public animal shelter with a no-kill policy. They euthanize an animal only if it suffers from an incurable disease.

The policy of other shelters is to “euthanize” the animals if no one claims them after a certain period, which differs in each jurisdiction.

The result is millions of pounds of meat to deal with. Some of it goes to landfills where it eventually breaks down. A small number of dogs are buried.

in pet cemeteries. The rest is “recycled”.

The extraction plants process the carcasses for use in dog food and as food for other animals. “In addition, about 40 billion pounds per year of slaughter

wastes such as blood, bones and guts, as well as the remains of millions of euthanized cats and dogs passed down by veterinarians and animal shelters,

are annually converted into livestock feed, in the process turning cattle and pigs, which are natural herbivores, into unwitting carnivores. “(US News

& World Report, September 1, 1997 p.23)

The horse meat industry offers a good model for the export of dog meat. “In the last ten years, more than 3 million American horses have been euthanized

in the United States for human consumption abroad. “(http://www.equus.org)

In 1994, 105,000 horses were euthanized in the US Another 35,000 were sent alive to Canada for slaughter, and another 30,000 were sent alive to Mexico.

for sacrificehttp://www.igha.org) for a total of $ 66 million. Dividing sales by the number of animals slaughtered over the past ten years shows that each animal produced about $ 400 in revenue.

Considering that a horse typically weighs 8 times as much as a 30-pound dog, there is a certain economy of scale that is advantageous when it comes to

the largest animal.

Another interesting feature of the horse meat export industry is its use of Canada and Mexico as points of export. This strategy is possibly used because the

The slaughter process is less expensive in Mexico and Canada. These countries may also have more beneficial deals with trading partners than the US.