The earliest friend to man is the dog. However the case of dog meat eating has been in existence for a long time. Most of the practice of dog eating has been culturally embraced in the Asian world, more specifically in South Korea and China. Even though this is the case, dog eating has been a practice from the ancient times spanning from several regions like the hinterlands of Western Europe and the Asian peninsulas. The practice has been embraced without much thought about the repercussions and the possible problems associated with the habit. Although the practice is widely acclaimed as safe, there are problems that are associated with the dog meat eating in the world. This paper therefore attempts to question the dog eating habit and Present facts about the habit in as far as the repercussions and the reasons for the practice are advanced. Cultural orientation and background are therefore seen as the major reasons behind the habit of dog eating.
Background and exposition
Lodish (3) observes that the habit of dog meat eating has been greatly practised in South Korea than in any part of the world. Dog meat eating is commonly practised by the old folks in the country. The young generation have since stopped from the practice. The dog meat is normally fried and served with some other delicacies like rice. There is also the braised dog meat is also served with tofu or dry cabbage. The practice is common among men. It is widely acclaimed that the dog meat is good for muscle building and health restoration for the sick (Ward & Andrew 9). Therefore, most men and few women indulge in the practice in a bid to restore their health. For men it is normally taken for building muscles and as a normal delicacy. There are other reasons that have been advanced for taking dog meat. Some of them include the habitual trend that the customs of the people have for a long time indulged in. The practice is continued since the people believe that the dog meat is part of their cultural integration. While this is the case, some people take dog meat with the intention of boosting their health and protein supplement. Research has shown that dog meat has a good supply of protein (Ward & Andrew 9). However, the argument does not beat logic that the dog meat has more protein than other sources like beef and fish. Therefore, the practice is normally carried out as a habit rather than a justification purely based on the health inclinations advanced.
Reports by Eramo (18) show that the dog meat eating in Taiwan and other Vietnamese regions is attributed to the cultural inclinations. The culture of some of the Korean people stipulates that the dog meat is cooked and prepared for special visitor (Lodish 3). Culture has therefore played a big role in the dog meat eating in the countries. To most people, the black dogs are the most preferred, followed by the yellow dogs. The white dogs are the least preferred dogs. People’s tastes and preferences differ from one part to another, but more generally the trend of consideration lies within the specifics presented.
The dog meat eating has different times when the practice picks up to peak levels. BBC Monitoring (31) notes that the dog meat eating is more prominent over winter than during the summer. According to Mencius (a great scholar and philosopher), dog meat has great pharmaceutical properties and increases heat in the body (Lodish 2). Most people eat the dog meat due to the fact that it increases the heat levels in the body. This is greatly needed during the winter period when there is a drop in temperatures. The dog meat is also consumed for those who want to increase their virility (Eramo 14). Dog meat is good for the people who are recovering from an illness. There are those who indulge in the practice to improve their skin. This practice is commonly practised by women as the dog meat is seen as a cure for skin diseases and the smoothening the texture and lustre of the skin. It is therefore consumed by women on inclination of this fact.
The eating cultures of a people are reminiscent of their social identity in the world (Eramo 23). The dog meat eating practice identifies that people who practice the ritual as unique. While the practice is widely carried out in the Asian countries, the practice is also carried out in Europe, Canada, parts of the US and some regions in Africa. Although this is the practice, most parts of the world consider the dog meat eating as a backward trend. Dog meat eating is prohibited among the Jews and other faiths. This is because the dog is considered as one of the unclean animals in the world. Therefore consuming them is against the faith of the Christians.
According to Liang et al (14), dog meat has been known to contain a numerous benefits for the people that engage in the practice. The scholar goes on to explain that dog meat has been associated with the traditional Chinese emperor Husihui who wrote on the medicinal and other benefits of the dog meat. It was highly held in china that dog meat was the only thing that was used to keep the old folk from feeling hungry. This therefore was a way developed from an ancient time where the people who were involved ended up practising the ritual for a long time. Minu et al. (54) observe that dog meat is mild and tastes salty. Most of the dog meat eaters have hinted that one of the reasons that they love the dog meat is the tenderness that is associated with it. The dog meat is tender and salty. In most parts of China where the dog forms a delicacy, it is referred to as “the sweet meat”. Perhaps this is in its reference as a sweet meat, due to the saltiness. To most parts of the world where the dog is only kept as a pet, the meat cannot be equalized to the normal cow or goat meat.
The dog meat is non- poisonous and is has been claimed to be responsible for the calming effect of the five vital organs in the body Webmaster (1). The dog meat is known for its good healing effects on the body. Watson and Stephanie (3) mention that this is because the meat has some powers of calming the five organs of the body. The heart is one of the organs that are majorly boosted by the dog meat. While this is widely acclaimed among the dog eating folks, research has not yet found the claims to be true or false. Therefore most people continue to engage in the practise of dog eating without knowing the true facts behind the practise. It may as well be an influence from others who have developed a habit form the practise. In his proposition of the importance of dog meat, Liang et al. (31) continues in his assertions by highlighting that the dog meat has the healing power of life threatening illnesses. Most people who eat dogs have pointed out to the fact that the dog meat is eaten with some hope that it adds to healing process. The healing process is normally associated with the saltiness and the fact that the dog meat causes the body temperatures to rise.
Minu et al. (54) note that another benefit that is associated with the dog meat is the fact that the meat increases male potency. Most cultures in the world do not associate the male potency with the dog meat. However, the Asian regions of China and Most parts of Korea view the dog meat to be rich in contents that increase male potency. This justifies the reason why most males in these countries indulge in dog eating than the females. This practice is common among the Asian dog farmers of china. There is also a speculation that the dig meat is rich in replenishing blood and invigorating the stomach and the intestines (Liang et al. 42). This is done through filling the lower visceral cavity. Research has not yet proven the theoretical aspersions of the dog eating folks to be true. However, practise has indicated that those people who indulge in the practise have had good stomach invigoration as compared to other types of meat like pork and beef. There is also a development that dog meat is good for stimulating the growth of bone marrow. Therefore the people who eat the dog meat are deemed to have strong bones due to the effect gotten from the content. The chemical content of the dog meat are yet to be tested and presented. Therefore most of the practise is bounded on belief and cultural practise.
Why eating the dog meat is viewed as bad
According to the medical practitioners and health reports, dog meat is one of the potential areas where deadly infections like the trichonollosis (an infection transmitted by infected meat) can easily spread and cause deaths on a large scale (Fahey 7). Therefore, dog meat is a potential hazard that if not checked can lead to deadly effects in the population. However, the same report indicates that the effects of dog eating are controlled by the low number of people embracing the idea of dog eating. Even though this is the case, efforts should be made to stop the habit. Animal activists have argued that pet eating and pet keeping should be subjectively be defined to avoid atrocities on animals (Ward & Andrew 24). The dog is considered as a pet among, any communities, and so should not form part of the delicacies of man. While this is the case, other communities in Vietnam and Korea do not figure the animal as a pet. Instead as earlier advance, the animal is seen as special food for visitors. The argument here is based on the demand for a clear demarcation of the pet and the animals kept for food.
The health implications can also take a different direction through infections such as the rabies. BBC Monitoring (21) observes that although the dog meat can be a delicacy, the dog is an animal that is bound to be infected with many illnesses like rabies. There are other illnesses that also affect the animals and therefore under less scrutiny of the dog meat the infections can be passed on to the humans which consume the dog meat. When this happens, the health implication son the people may be put on a danger. Therefore, this is a major disadvantage for the people as it may lead to dire consequences on their health.
Fahey (12) argue that the increased demand for the dog meat may have consequences on the other sources of proteins. People who enjoy the dog meat as a delicacy may at the end ignore other sources of food such as the beef. Although this does not have any medical basis in argument, it is one of the consequences that may accompany the parties that are involved in the consumption of the dog meat.
Cultural stereotypes
Most cultures do not approve the consumption of dog meat. To the African persons, the majority attribute dog eating to the savages and people who do not have proper cultural identity. While this is the case, other communities in the world embrace the culture of dog eating. The dog meat is taken as one of the delicacies ad therefore the stereotypes concern them less. While this is true, we cannot afford to ignore the impact of cultural differences and the effect they have on stereotypes. Ward and Andrew (24) observe that stereotypes are some of the effects that can be manifested due to differences in the cultural orientation of a people. To some people, the dog eating people are deemed as uncultured or people who have no culture (undergone cultural mutiny). The development of cultural biasness based on the beliefs is thus one of the implications of dog meat eating. This can be traumatizing especially when one travels to other places that do not indulge in the practice of dog meat eating.
Commentary
The practise of dog eating in different parts of the world is a cultural phenomenon that is reminiscent of the people’s cultural inclination. Webmaster (9) notes that the culture of a people is manifested through their type of food, social status and the general way of life. The dog eating habit is therefore the habit of the people who are involved in the practise. Most constitutions adopt the factor of legal justifications for the people to indulge in their practise. Therefore it is very wrong to judge the cultures of other people. Liang et al (12) write that the people who eat the dog meat should not be subjected to cultural stereotype as people who are unclean due to their culture. The argument develops that every person is free to carry out their cultural inclination without interference from outside forces or cultures.
It is therefore unfair to judge other peoples culture by basing our culture as the yardstick. However, animal lovers have argued on the precept that the dog is a pet that gas been man’s best friend since time immemorial. The human indulgence in eating dog meat is therefore unjustified. To Liang et al (32), the dog meat was only considered a delicacy during the periods of war and disasters when human food was scarce. Even though this was pegged on unavoidable circumstances, it was considered cannibalistic to indulge in such actions. The dog should be respected as a poet and not as a possible source of proteins as most people who eat its meat advance.
Most critics have argued that dog meat is not meant for human consumption. People who eat the dog meat hold that the dog is reared as a pet in their cultures. It is bred as a possible source of food and meat. To the Koreans it is seen as a preserve for important visitors. Therefore the dismissal of dog eating practice is unjustified since the other cultures also rear animals that are meant to be used for food.
Although this is the prevailing indulgence by people who view the dog meat as a delicacy, there should be a rational thinking that is shaped towards understanding the effects of dog meat eating. The critical evaluation will inculcate the revision of our cultures and view of the current issues that may cause possible problems than benefits. To Liang et al. (22), dog meat is one of the causes of death of humans through food poisoning and infections. As earlier advanced in this essay, the dog meat can be infected by various diseases and viruses. The infections such as rabies and the trichonollosis Watson and Stephanie (13) have been some of the leading sources of death among the people. Therefore, there needs to be a thorough scrutiny of the meat before most the public indulges in its consumption.
Most countries have banned the consumption of the dog meat. Statistics show that most governments in the world do not allow the sale of dog meat to the public. This means that there are no clinical checks advanced for those people who indulge in the consumption of the dog meat. The result is that the people end up being exposed to potential hazards through a consumption of infected meat. This is one of the reasons that have been advanced to be leading to increased deaths among the people who practise the rituals.
Conclusion
The development asserted in this essay shows that dog meat has some advantages that ought to be utilized by those who want to gain a healthy lifestyle. The proposition that the dog meat is good for increased male virility and intestinal invigoration seem to be good attractions to the innocent citizen. However, care should be taken when consuming the meat as most occasions the meat products are not checked and tested for safety. This is because most of the slaughters occur under cover. The illegality that is involved in the slaughter and sale of dog meat makes it a very dangerous activity to carry out hence increasing the dangers associated with it. It should however be noted that cultural orientation as expostulated in this essay is the sole reason as to why most people indulge in the consumption of dog meat.
Works Cited
Arthur. Handbook of research on culturally-aware information technology perspectives and models. Hershey, PA: Information Science Reference, 2011.
Eramo, Marco. The pig and the skyscraper: Chicago, a history of our future. London New York: VERSO, 2002.
Fahey Jr., et al. "Protein Digestibility Evaluations Of Meat And Fish Substrates Using Laboratory, Avian, And Illegally Cannulated Dog Assays." Journal Of Animal Science 88.4 (2010): 1421-1432. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 May 2012.
Liang, Shiqiu. Ya she xiao pin xuan ji. Xianggang: Xianggang Zhong wen da xue chu ban she, 2005.
Lodish, E.What's wrong with eating dog meat? Retrieved from http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/06/30/whats-wrong-with-eating-dog-meat/
Minu Sharma, et al. "Improving Meat Inspection and Control in Resource-Poor Communities: The Nepal Example." Acta Tropica 87.1 (2003): 119. Academic Search Premier. Web. 17 May 2012
"Seven Infected with Trichonollosis in Kazakhstan After Eating Dogs Meat." BBC Monitoring Central Asia: 1. ABI/INFORM Complete. Apr 18 2000. Web. 17 May 2012.
Ward, Andrew. "S Koreans Hound Critics of Dog-Eating WORLD CUP GOVERNMENT IS ANXIOUS ABOUT COUNTRYS REPUTATION BUT WARY OF ACTING AGAINST PRACTICE:" Financial Times: 14. ABI/INFORM Complete. Dec 21 2001. Web. 17 May 2012.
Watson, Stephanie. Mystery meat: hot dogs, sausages, and lunch meats: the incredibly disgusting story. New York: Rosen Central, 2011.
Webmaster .China mulls ban on dog meat: TOP 10 dog meat facts (PHOTOS) (web). http://sanfrancisco.ibtimes.com/articles/173232/20110702/china-mulls-ban-dog-meat-top-10-facts-photos.htm#page1
