Editor's note: John D. Sutter is a columnist for CNN Opinion and creator of CNN's Change the List project. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook or Google+. E-mail him at ctl@cnn.com. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
The dog photos are difficult to view.
Of course.
They show man's best friend being stuffed into wire cages and trucked, illegally, across borders in Southeast Asia. The destination: restaurants in Vietnam.
That thought alone - that someone would sit in a public restaurant and order dog from a menu - is likely enough to get most "dog people" to stop reading this column, much less look at the photo essay featured this week by CNN's photo blog.
Here in the Untied States, we will spend $58.5 billion on pets this year, according to one industry projection. We pamper dogs with Christmas presents; send them to "doggie daycare"; bring them on planes (more than 2 million pets and animals fly per year); and trot them around show rings, judging the perfection of their pedigree.
Eat them?
Read - The argument for eating dog
Previously in taboo food news:
Down the rabbit hole
Lawmaker battles to ban lion meat
Horse: Coming soon to a meat case near you?
Poll – making a meal of mustang
Top Chef trots into taboo territory
I don't see what the big problem is. Puppies are very tender and juicy.
Islam tells not to eat anything that eats meat, because those animals tend to be intelligent. That includes pigs, hence muslims do not eat pork. Chicken and fish are not intelligent, so they are exceptions. Herbivores tend to be dumb coz it does not take much brain to chew herbs. So, there is an ethical backing to it. Not that I am a muslim, but I was raised as one. Know a religion before you attack it.
a troll.
some people will eat anything including human meat they did in ancient times across the globe now that china has killed off almost everything living I am sure they will start consuming each other. The world is a sic place pollution is wiping out millions of fish and other species, plants and all that will be left is solent green!
don't care if it is cultural. It's wrong.
My, how myopic and unworldly you are. KUTGW
gladly so.
Why?
It is an animal. As long as it is killed humanely, the owner can do what s/he wishes with it. No different from buying a cow or a pig and eating it.
all of you will pay!! unacceptable...no wonder all of your breaths smell like dog poop!!
Humans are animals too.
Ate 6 dogs yesterday–chili cheese coneys from Sonic for National Hot Dog Day.
I'm rather partial to certain types of wieners myself. ~_~
... but not named Anthony, I trust?
This is exactly the kind of awareness we need to have. My latest article takes a look at the ethics of our simplest everyday food purchase.
No one cares about your article.
Thanks for your comment Carn E. Vore! You are a great example of the Consumer and you were successful in driving more people to read my article :)
I think one day if we are truly living in a modern world, no one on the planet will eat any animals at all.
Inclduing carnivores?
YAWN!
Vincent- cows and chickens have personality. Trust me. I have had both. Eatting dogs is a cultural thing. HIndus don't eat meat. Muslims and Jews don't eat pigs. You cannot just someone's cultural norms through your cultural norms.
hindus eat meat. they just don't eat cow
A dog lover, not a dog eater.
A dog's different. A dog has personality.
So do cows http://www.onekind.org/be_inspired/animal_sentience/emotions/emotions_in_cows/
A whole slough of other animals that we DO eat regularly have personalities too. When was the last time you hung out with a cow long enough to realize this?
I don't think I could eat dog. But I think it's more important to clean up the cruelty in the industry than to focus on whether people should eat dog or not.
Apparently none of you have seen "Pulp Fiction"...
I haven'['t. What am I missing?
Dude, just watch the da mn movie and you will get it.