Eating Dogs

From Wikipedia:
"Dog Meat"

Cameroon: Among the Vame people, domestic dogs are only eaten for specific rituals.

Democratic Republic of the Congo: Despite tests showing 156 dogs were infected with Ebola, the consumption of dog meat is no longer taboo.

Ghana: The Tallensi, the Akyims, the Kokis, and the Yaakuma, one of many cultures of Ghana, consider dog meat a delicacy. While the Mamprusi generally avoid dog meat, it is eaten in a "courtship stew" provided by a king to his royal lineage. Two Tribes in Ghana, Frafra and Dagaaba are particularly known to be "tribal playmates" and consumption of dog meat is the common bond between the two tribes. Every year around September, games are organised between these two tribes and the Dog Head is the trophy at stake for the winning tribe.

Morocco: Islamic law bans the eating of dog meat as does the government of Morocco. However, the consumption of dog meat still occurs particularly in poorer regions, often being passed off as other meats as was the situation in 2013 and 2009 cases.

Nigeria: Dogs are eaten by various groups in some states of Nigeria, including Ondo State, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Plateau, Kalaba, Taraba and Gombe of Nigeria. They are believed to have medicinal powers. In late 2014, the fear of contracting the Ebola virus disease from bushmeat led at least one major Nigerian newspaper to imply that eating dog meat was a healthy alternative. That paper documented a thriving trade in dog meat and slow sales of even well smoked bushmeat.

Canada: It is not explicitly illegal to sell and serve dog meat. However to be able to serve any meat for human consumption in a restaurant and for the public the meat has to have come from a provincialy licenced meat plant operator and meet the starndards of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency for meat inspection. There are no provincially licensed plants approved to slaughter dogs.  If a dog is killed without justification the killing could be considered cruelty, which would violate the Criminal Code, and those convicted may be sentenced to up to 5 years in prison.

United States: As of 2018, it is still legal to eat dog meat in 43 states. California, Georgia, Hawaii, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and Virginia are the only states that explicitly outlawed dog meat. It is, however, illegal in all states for slaughterhouses to handle dogs, and it’s illegal for stores to sell the meat.

Native North Americans: The traditional culture surrounding the consumption of dog meat varied from tribe to tribe among the original inhabitants of North America, with some tribes relishing it as a delicacy, and others (such as the Comanche) treating it as a forbidden food.  Native peoples of the Great Plains, such as the Sioux and Cheyenne, consumed it, but there was a concurrent religious taboo against the meat of wild canines. During their 1803–1806 expedition, Meriwether Lewis and the other members of the Corps of Discovery consumed dog meat, either from their own animals or supplied by Native American tribes, including the Paiutes and Wah-clel-lah Indians, a branch of the Watlatas, the Clatsop,  the Teton Sioux (Lakota),  the Nez Perce Indians,  and the Hidatsas. Lewis and the members of the expedition ate dog meat, except William Clark, who reportedly could not bring himself to eat dogs. The Kickapoo people include puppy meat in many of their traditional festivals. This practice has been well documented in the Works Progress Administration "Indian Pioneer History Project for Oklahoma"

Mainland China: Roughly 20 million dogs are killed for consumption each year, making the People's Republic of China the world's largest consumer of dog meat.  Although consuming dog meat is not illegal in mainland China, the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture has never issued quarantine procedures for slaughtering dogs.  Selling dog meat as food is against the Food Safety Law of the People's Republic of China. According to the Animal Epidemic Prevention Law of the People’s Republic of China (2013 Amendment), dogs need to be vaccinated. Dogs for eating are not vaccinated, so they are illegal to transport or to sell; however, despite this, approximately 10 million dogs each year are slaughtered for consumption response. Before the 2008 Beijing Olympics, officials ordered dog meat to be taken off the menu at its 112 official Olympic restaurants to avoid offending visitors from various nations where the consumption of dog meat is taboo. As of the early 21st century, dog meat consumption is declining or disappearing.  In 2014, dog meat sales decreased by a third compared to 2013.  It was reported that in 2015, one of the most popular restaurants in Guangzhou serving dog meat was closed after the local government tightened regulations; the restaurant had served dog meat dishes since 1963. Other restaurants that served dog and cat meat in the Yuancun and Panyu districts also stopped serving these dishes in 2015.

Hong Kong: In Hong Kong, the Dogs and Cats Ordinance was introduced by the British Hong Kong Government on 6 January 1950. It prohibits the slaughter of any dog or cat for use as food by fine and imprisonment.  In February 1998, a Hong Konger was sentenced to one month imprisonment and a fine of two thousand HK dollars for hunting street dogs for food. Four local men were sentenced to 30 days imprisonment in December 2006 for having slaughtered two dogs.

Taiwan: Dog meat is believed by some in Taiwan to have health benefits, including improving circulation and raising body temperature. In 2001, the Taiwanese government imposed a ban on the sale of dog meat, due to both pressure from domestic animal welfare groups and a desire to improve international perceptions, although there were some protests. In 2007, another law was passed, significantly increasing the fines to sellers of dog meat.  However, animal rights campaigners have accused the Taiwanese government of not prosecuting those who continue to slaughter and serve dog meat at restaurants. In April 2017, Taiwan became the first Asian country to officially ban the consumption of dog and cat meat as well as jail time for those who torture and kill animals. The Animal Protection Act amendments approved by the Legislative Yuan aims to punish the sale, purchase or consumption of dog or cat meat with fines ranging from NT$50,000 to NT$2 million. The amendments also stiffen punishment for those who intentionally harm animals to a maximum two years' imprisonment and fines of NT$200,000 to NT$2 million.

India: Dog meat is a delicacy among certain Tibeto-Burmese tribes  in some states of Northeast India, particularly Mizoram, Nagaland,  and Manipur.  In Nagaland, dog lovers have launched a campaign to end India's dog meat trade, which sees more than 30,000 stray and stolen dogs beaten to death with clubs each year. The consumption of dog meat is illegal in India but is carried out in Nagaland and other eastern states, where dog meat is considered to have high nutritional and medicinal value.

Indonesia: Indonesia is predominantly Muslim, a faith which considers dog meat, along with pork, to be haram (ritually unclean). Therefore, Muslims do not eat it. However, dog meat is eaten by several of Indonesia's non-Muslim minorities. While reliable data on the dog meat trade in Indonesia are scarce, making it hard to establish consumption trends, animal rights activists and restaurant owners say there is a growing appetite for dog meat among members of ethnic groups who do not traditionally eat dog meat. On the resort island of Bali alone, between 60,000 and 70,000 dogs are slaughtered and eaten a year, despite lingering concerns about the spread of rabies following an outbreak of the disease there a few years ago, according to the Bali Animal Welfare Association. Dog consumption in Indonesia gained attention during the 2012 U.S. Presidential election when incumbent Barack Obama was pointed out by his opponent to have eaten dog meat served by his Indonesian stepfather Lolo Soetoro when Obama was living in the country.  Obama wrote about his experience of eating dog in his book Dreams of My Father, and at the 2012 White House Correspondents' Dinner joked about eating dog. In June 2017, there is an investigative report discovered that tourists in Bali are unknowingly eating dog meat sold by street vendors.

Japan: The consumption of dog meat is not a feature of modern Japanese culture. There is a belief in Japan that certain dogs have special powers in their religion of Shintoism and Buddhism. Dog meat was consumed in Japan until 675 AD, when Emperor Tenmu decreed a prohibition on its consumption during the 4th through 9th months of the year. Normally a dog accompanied the emperor for battle, so it was believed that eating a dog gave emperors bad luck

South Korea:  It is reported that roughly 2 million dogs are slaughtered and consumed every year in South Korea. In recent years the number of dog meat has gone down as more people have been adopting dogs as pets. Dog restaurants are also closing down, with reports saying the country’s 1,500 dog meat restaurants have almost halved in recent years. A poll conducted by Gallup Korea in 2015 showed that only 20 percent of men in their 20s consumed dog meat, compared to half of those in their 50s and 60s. However, there are still approximately 17,000 dog farms operating across the country, often in inhumane conditions. In the capital city of Seoul, the sale of dog meat was outlawed by regulation on February 21, 1984, by classifying dog meat as "repugnant food" (혐오식품, 嫌惡食品, hyeom-o sigpum), but the regulation was not rigorously enforced except during the 1988 Seoul Olympics. In 2001, the Mayor of Seoul announced there would be no extra enforcement efforts to control the sale of dog meat during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, which was partially hosted in Seoul. In March 2008, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced its plan to put forward a policy suggestion to the central government to legally classify slaughter dogs as livestock, reigniting debate on the issue. There is a large and vocal group of Koreans (consisting of a number of animal welfare groups) who are against the practice of eating dogs.  Popular television shows like 'I Love Pet' have documented, in 2011 for instance, the continued illegal sale of dog meat and slaughtering of dogs in suburban areas. The program also televised illegal dog farms and slaughterhouses, showing the unsanitary and horrific conditions of caged dogs, several of which were visibly sick with severe eye infections and malnutrition. However, despite this growing awareness, there remain some in Korea that do not eat or enjoy the meat, but do feel that it is the right of others to do so, along with a smaller but still vocal group of pro-dog cuisine people who want to popularize the consumption of dog in Korea and the rest of the world.

North Korea: Daily NK reported that the North Korean government included dog meat in its new list of one hundred fixed prices, setting a fixed price of 500 won per kilogram in early 2010.

Philippines: In the capital city of Manila, Metro Manila Commission Ordinance 82-05 specifically prohibits the killing and selling of dogs for food. Generally however, the Philippine Animal Welfare Act 1998 prohibits the killing of any animal other than cattle, pigs, goats, sheep, poultry, rabbits, carabaos, horses, deer and crocodiles, with exemptions for religious, cultural, research, public safety and/or animal health reasons. Nevertheless, the consumption of dog meat is not uncommon in the Philippines, reflected in the occasional coverage in Philippine newspapers.  The province of Benguet specifically allows cultural use of dog meat by indigenous people and acknowledges this might lead to limited commercial use. In the early 1980s, there was an international outcry about dog meat consumption in the Philippines after newspapers published photos of Margaret Thatcher, then British Prime Minister, with a dog carcass hanging beside her on a market stall. The British Government discussed withdrawing foreign aid and other countries, such as Australia, considered similar action. To avoid such action, the Filipino government banned the sale of dog meat, despite dog meat being the third most consumed meat, behind pork and goat and ahead of beef. The ban eventually became totally disregarded, although it was reinstated by President Ramos in 1998 in the Animal Welfare Act (Republic Act 8485).

Thailand: In Thailand dog meat consumption has been shown to have historical precedents, and dog consumption is part of mainstream culture. In recent years, the consumption of dog meat in certain areas of the country, especially in certain northeastern provinces like Sakon Nakhon and Nakhon Phanom, notably Sakon Nakhon province's Tha Rae sub-district, which has been identified as the main center for the country's lucrative, dog meat trade, has attracted widespread admiration from the Thai population and local news media. This has led large groups of animal activists to become increasingly vocal against the consumption of dog meat and the selling of dogs that are transported through Laos to neighbouring Mekong countries, including Vietnam and China. According to news reports, a considerable number of these dogs continue to be stolen from people's homes by illegal carriers. This was also the case following the 2011 Thailand Floods. Dubbed the country's "Trade of Shame",[who said this?] Animal activists have now formed several informal animal welfare and rescue groups, particularly online, in an attempt to stop this illegal trade, with the collective attitude being that "Dogs are not food".[who said this?] Established not-for-profit animal charity organizations like the Soi Dog Foundation have also been active in raising awareness and to rehabilitate and relocate dogs rescued from trucks attempting to transport live dogs from Thailand to nearby countries. The issue has slighty impacted the nation's animal rights movement, which continues to call on the Thai government to adopt a stricter and more comprehensive animal rights law to prevent the maltreatment of pets and cruelty against all animals.

Timor-Leste: Dog meat is a delicacy popular in Timor-Leste.

Uzbekistan: Although not commonly eaten, dog meat is sometimes used in Uzbekistan in the belief that it has medicinal properties.

Vietnam:  Around five million dogs are slaughtered in Vietnam every year, making the country the second biggest consumer of dog meat in the world after China, which consumes roughly 20 million.  The consumption has been criticized by many in Vietnam and around the world as most of the dogs are pets stolen and killed in brutal ways. Vietnam does not have strong regulations to stop the practice. Dog thieves are rarely punished, and nor are the people who buy and sell stolen meat. Dog meat is particularly popular in the urban areas of the north, and can be found in special restaurants which specifically serve dog meat. According to a 2013 survey on VietNamNet, with the participation of more than 3,000 readers, showed that the majority of people, at 80%, still supported eating dog meat. Up to 66 percent of the readers said that dog meat is nutritious food and it has been traditional food for a very long time. Some 13 percent said eating dog meat is okay but dog slaughtering must be strictly controlled, avoid embarrassing images.

Austria: Section 6, Paragraph 2 of the law for the protection of animals (Tierschutzgesetz (TSchG)) prohibits the killing of dogs and cats for purposes of consumption as food or for other products.

Britain and Ireland: Eating dog meat is considered entirely taboo. However, Brittonic and Irish texts which date from the early Christian period suggest that dog meat was sometimes consumed but possibly in ritual contexts such as Druidic ritual trance.  

Germany: Dog meat has been eaten in every major German crisis since, at least, the time of Frederick the Great, and is commonly referred to as "blockade mutton". Dog meat has been prohibited in Germany since 1986.

Poland: While dog meat is not eaten, in some rural areas of Poland, especially Lesser Poland, dog fat can be made into lard, which by tradition is believed to have medicinal properties – being good for the lungs, for instance It is worth noting that the consumption of such meat is considered taboo in Polish culture, and making lard out of dogs' fat is illegal. In 2009, a scandal erupted when a farm near Częstochowa was discovered rearing dogs to be rendered down into lard.  According to Grazyna Zawada, from Gazeta Wyborcza, there were farms in Czestochowa, Klobuck, and in the Radom area, and in the decade from 2000 to 2010 six people producing dog lard were found guilty of breaching animal welfare laws (killing dogs and animal cruelty) and sentenced to jail.  As of 2014 there have been new cases prosecuted.

Switzerland: In 2012, the Swiss newspaper Tages-Anzeiger reported that dogs, as well as cats, are eaten regularly by a few farmers in rural areas.  While commercial slaughter and sale of dog meat is illegal, farmers are allowed to slaughter dogs for personal consumption. The favorite type of meat comes from a dog related to the Rottweiler and consumed as Mostbröckli, a form of marinated meat. Animals are slaughtered by butchers and either shot or bludgeoned. It is illegal in Switzerland to commercially produce food made from dog meat, or to produce such food for commercial purposes.

Australia: In most states and territories it is legal to eat cats and dogs. South Australia is the only state which prohibits the eating of dog or cat meat, including the killing of a cat or dog for such purpose. However, it is illegal to sell dog meat in any Australian state or territory.

New Zealand: It is legal to eat dog meat in New Zealand, but is not generally condoned. A Tongan man living in New Zealand sparked a public debate in 2009 after he cooked dog in his back yard. This prompted calls to ban the practice, although this did not happen. 

^ I focused on the places where it is legal to eat dog meat as well as those places where it is illegal, but still happens. The article was even longer and gave historical contexts to eating dogs. What really surprised me is that dog meat is legal in Canada, Australia, New Zealand and most of the United States. It is really disgusting to think of anyone anywhere eating "man's best friend." ^

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_meat