| Food is a substance that holds cultures together. | | | | exceeds a twenty-eight hour period. If the dogs |
| Common foods unify and define countries and | | | | were slaughtered |
| regions. However, a food that one group considers a | | | | in the U.S., that would eliminate concerns about |
| delicacy, | | | | these regulations. Shipping meat instead of live |
| another group may find offensive. The French have | | | | animals also avoids the problems associated with the |
| long been called "frogs" because of their taste for | | | | quarantine of live animals.Even though the dog meat |
| the amphibians. The English once were sneered upon | | | | market does not seem to be growing at a fast rate, |
| as "beefsteak" because of their trend-setting use of | | | | it is conceivable that American exporters could make |
| cattle, and in the Philippines at least one tribe is | | | | inroads in a niche market. |
| nicknamed "dogeaters."The name Dogeaters has not | | | | The breed of dog that is farm- raised in Korea and |
| been confined to the Philippines, however.The | | | | China is a large dog similar in appearance to the |
| summer 1988 Seoul Olympics focused the world's | | | | German Shepherd. It is difficult to say whether the |
| attention on South Korea. One aspect of Korean | | | | variety of breeds in the U.S. would be considered |
| cuisine the government preferred not to have | | | | suitable choices for the dog meat market abroad. |
| spotlighted | | | | Market research would need to be done.Initially, it |
| was the use of dog meat. A dog stew, called | | | | appears that there may be enough demand to |
| Poshintang, is commonly available in restaurants in | | | | support dog meat export, however, the impediments |
| Seoul and the rest of the country. As an ingredient, | | | | must be overcome. The voice of the American |
| dog | | | | citizen |
| is not as ubiquitous as beef is in the U.S.; it is | | | | is one factor that should not be underestimated. |
| considered to be something of a delicacy. | | | | Grass roots lobbying has great potential to raise |
| Traditionally, it has been a seasonal favorite, most | | | | public awareness against export efforts. Boycotts of |
| popular | | | | company family products has the potential to |
| in the summer. Dogmeat is also purported to be | | | | eliminate economic gains realized from coordinated |
| effective as a male stimulant, increasing sexual | | | | dog exports.Because the concept of sending dogs |
| stamina, even though there is no scientific literature | | | | overseas to be eaten may be distasteful, it is helpful |
| to support this claim.Even before the Olympics, | | | | to examine the current status of unwanted dogs to |
| there was concern that foreign visitors to Seoul | | | | gauge our attitudes |
| might be offended by restaurants offering dog meat. | | | | towards the situation.The SF SPCA claims to be the |
| The Ministry of Health and | | | | only public animal shelter with a no-kill policy. They |
| Welfare ordered measures to prevent such a | | | | euthanize an animal only if it is suffering from an |
| conflict. In 1986, a ban was placed on the sale of dog | | | | incurable illness. |
| meat as an "unseemly" food. The practical result was | | | | The policy of other shelters is to "put down" animals |
| | | | if no one claims them after a certain period, which |
| that most restaurants in city limits replaced signs | | | | differs in each jurisdiction.The result is millions of |
| offering dog meat with smaller, less conspicuous | | | | pounds of flesh to be dealt with. Some of it enters |
| versions, or they renamed the dish to "health stew." | | | | landfills where it eventually decomposes. A small |
| This did not prevent criticism. "How can a nation that | | | | amount of dogs are buried |
| will cheerfully eat its best friend be relied upon to | | | | in pet cemeteries. The rest are "recycled."Rendering |
| host a small dinner party, let alone the Olympic | | | | plants process the carcasses for use in dog food and |
| Games?"In spite of this kind of pressure, dog meat | | | | as feed for other animals. "In addition, some 40 billion |
| sales continue. There are plans to open two dog | | | | pounds of year of slaughterhouse |
| slaughterhouses on Chejun Island, 450 km south of | | | | wastes like blood, bone, and viscera, as well as the |
| Seoul.One | | | | remains of millions of euthanized cats and dogs |
| entrepreneur has opened a chain of dog meat | | | | passed along by veterinarians and animal shelters, |
| restaurants. China Trading, the company behind the | | | | are rendered annually into livestock feed - in the |
| new restaurant chain, estimates there are now about | | | | process turning cattle and hogs, which are natural |
| 20,000 | | | | herbivores, into unwitting carnivores." (U.S. News |
| dog meat restaurnats throughout the country. It | | | | & World Report, Sept. 1, 1997 p.23)A good model |
| says one restaurant can rack up sales of 10 million | | | | for export of dog meat is provided by the |
| won (about US$6020) a day during peak dog eating | | | | horsemeat industry. "In the last ten years, more than |
| season | | | | 3 million American horses have been slaughtered |
| from April to July.In the U.S., the estimated number | | | | in the U.S. for human consumption abroad." ( 1994, |
| of animals euthanized ranges from 6-150 million per | | | | 105,000 horses were slaughtered in the U.S. Another |
| year. If half of the number is composed of dogs, | | | | 35,000 were shipped live to Canada for slaughter, |
| that leaves a lot | | | | and another 30,000 were shipped live to Mexico |
| of potential meat to be exported. Legally, the only | | | | for slaughter ( for a total of $66 million. Dividing sales |
| barrier would be the Animal Welfare Act, a federal | | | | by the number of animals slaughtered for the last ten |
| law that covers any "live or dead dog, cat, nonhuman | | | | years shows that each animal produced about $400 |
| | | | in income.Considering that a horse typically weighs 8 |
| primate, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, or any other | | | | times more than a 30-pound dog, there is a certain |
| warm-blooded animal which is being used, or is | | | | economy of scale that is advantageous when dealing |
| intended for use for research, teaching, testing, | | | | with |
| experimentation | | | | the larger animal.Another interesting feature of the |
| or exhibition purposes. The USDA interprets the act | | | | horsemeat export industry is its use of Canada and |
| to exclude birds, rats, and mice bred for research, | | | | Mexico as export outlets. This strategy is used |
| and horses and other farm animals, such as livestock | | | | possibly because the |
| and poultry, used or intended for use as food or | | | | slaughter process is less expensive in Mexico and |
| fiber." It is conceivable that dogs raised as livestock | | | | Canada. These countries may also have more |
| would be excluded as well, once it is established | | | | beneficial agreements with trading partners than the |
| that they are being raised as food.Another rule | | | | U.S. is your one stop destination for premium dog |
| governing the trade of livestock is the "Twenty- | | | | food and premium dog |
| Eight Hour Law" which simply outlines minimum | | | | training. |
| guidelines for the care of animals as they are | | | | From great products, to great resources, is a |
| transported to market. There are certain feed, | | | | superior unique alternative that I hope you all take full |
| space, and water requirements if the transit time | | | | advantage of! |