The Yulin Dog Meat Festival: A Beautiful Celebration
Well, it’s that time of year again. Yes, the annual Lychee and Dog Meat Festival is underway in Yulin, China. And of course, all the militant dog-lovers are coming out to protest this beautiful and respectable cultural tradition. Yes, the hippie protesters who are probably protein-deficient and could really use a good dog steak are getting all riled up again. In fact, some of them have even resorted to dognapping, taking good meat away from the festival organizers. Let’s go over some facts about the festival, and about eating dogs in general.
1. Humans have been eating dogs for thousands of years.
That’s right, man’s best friend has also been a consistent source of man’s food. From ancient times until today, people all around the world have been eating dogs. Some dogs have even been bred specifically for food! Dogs have notably been a major source of food during trying times. During meat shortages, dogs have been consumed even in places like Germany and the good ol’ USA. Dogs were even consumed on Lewis and Clark’s famous expedition. If people have been eating dogs for so long historically, how can you possibly object to people eating dogs today?
2. The dogs at the Yulin dog meat festival are killed humanely.
What these militant dog-lovers don’t seem to get is that the dogs involved are being treated kindly, according to the festival organizers. Now, some have accused dog meat traders of stealing pets and stray dogs. But even if this is true, the way I see it, it’s a good thing! After all, it means the dogs have lived happy, healthy lives where they were treated well. And if the dogs lived happy lives before being taken to slaughter, and they’re slaughtered humanely, how can you possibly object to eating them?
3. Humans are supposed to eat dogs.
Humans are omnivores. That means we’re biologically optimized to consume both meat and plants. Dog meat is an excellent source of protein, of vitamins B1, B2, and B3, and of iron and phosphorus. Humans are at the top of the food chain, and dogs are below us. That’s just how it works. Plus, humans have canine teeth, which are meant to tear apart meat. What could possibly be a better use of the canine teeth than eating canines? And let’s be honest; dog meat is delicious. Look, maybe you’ve never tried it, so you don’t get it, but there’s a reason there’s a festival for it. So how can you possibly object to eating dogs?
4. Eating dogs is a personal choice.
Look, maybe you don’t agree with eating dogs, and I respect that. All I ask is that you respect the Yulin festival-goers. They have their view, and you have yours. It’s a personal choice to eat dogs, and everyone should be free to have their personal choices. Plus, this is a cultural event. I mean, who are you to tell people that their culture of eating dogs is bad? Really, how can you possibly object to people making the personal decision to eat dog meat?
But, of course, the dog-lovers simply won’t listen to reason, instead preferring to let their emotions guide them. Because of these misguided protesters, this beautiful event has seen dwindling attendance every year. While at one time, thousands of dogs had the opportunity to become a delicious meal for attendees, now only a few hundred receive that honor. Indeed, it seems the festival’s days are numbered, as fewer and fewer people within and outside of China are willing to put up with it. I, for one, mourn the loss of this beautiful celebration.
Okay, but seriously, though.
The Yulin Dog Meat Festival is, of course, atrocious. I admire the work of everyone who rescues dogs from it and gets them to good homes, and I support the protesters both locally in China and around the world. The purpose of this article wasn’t to defend that event, but to point out how pitifully weak the defenses I raised of it are. I’m sure as you read through, you didn’t find them convincing, and you doubtless had more than a few objections. Let’s go over them point by point.
Humans have been eating dogs for thousands of years.
Yes, and? A tradition of doing something isn’t a moral justification for doing it. Tons of atrocious things have been common practice throughout history, such as slavery, rape, and brutal conquest. Additionally, the fact that dogs have been eaten at times when it was necessary to fend off starvation says nothing about whether we ought to eat dogs under regular circumstances. If you remember that Lewis and Clark fun fact from earlier, you might also be interested to know that William Clark apparently couldn’t bring himself to eat dog meat with the rest of the expedition.
The dogs at Yulin are killed humanely.
Now, of course, we’re certainly not obligated to take the festival organizers at their word that the dogs are killed humanely. There have actually been accusations that many dogs are boiled alive, but I haven’t been able to find any evidence to verify this. We also know that dogs are kept there in small cages, which are certainly not humane conditions. I think we can put all of that aside, though, because, really, what does it mean to be humane? Merriam-Webster’s top definition for the word “humane” is “marked by compassion, sympathy, or consideration for humans or animals.” Is there really any compassionate, sympathetic, or considerate way to kill a dog unnecessarily if it wants to live? I find it hard to believe that there can be.
Of course, the idea that the dogs lived good lives before being taken to slaughter means nothing, either. Whether the dogs were bred to become meat or they were stolen pets, they certainly don’t deserve to meet such a gruesome and pointless end to their lives, and the fact that a dog lived happily before being killed is not a justification for taking its life.
Humans are supposed to eat dogs.
Well, of course, humans aren’t really “supposed” to eat any particular animal. As omnivores, we have the capability to eat animals, but this certainly doesn’t mean we need to eat dogs. Is there nutritional value to dog meat? Of course there is, but there’s nothing in dog meat that we can’t get elsewhere. Popeye the sailor man famously gets his protein from spinach, and of course nuts, legumes, beans, and various greens provide plenty of protein and other nutritional value. There’s really no need for dog meat in one’s diet.
Humans having canine teeth is certainly not an adequate justification for killing dogs, especially given that humans’ canines are laughable in comparison to those of true carnivores. That’s not to say that only carnivores have large canines, though, as the herbivorous hippopotamus has massive canine teeth.
As for its tastiness, well, I imagine dog meat does taste good, but I can’t say I find that to be a particularly convincing reason to eat it, in light of the fact that you have to kill a dog to obtain it.
It’s a personal choice.
This is true, in the sense that a person does make the choice to eat a dog. But of course, that doesn’t mean we should condone that choice or just accept in resignation that dogs are going to be eaten. When someone’s “personal choice” is harmful to others, then we do have reason to object. Imagine a serial killer defending his actions as a “personal choice” in courtroom. Indeed, imagine someone threatening to kill your own pet and calling it a personal choice. And really, it seems we’re leaving out something very important here: the personal choice of the dogs. They don’t seem to be given any agency or even a single thought in this defense.
In the end, it’s pretty clear that these defenses fail to measure up. They pretty clearly don’t stand up to scrutiny. Because of that, it’s very hard to morally justify eating dogs. And yet, these are the same defenses used to justify eating meat generally. If these arguments don’t hold up for eating dogs, then they don’t hold up in defense of eating pigs or cows or chickens. These animals, like dogs, are sentient creatures that experience pain and deserve moral consideration. If you can’t justify killing dogs for meat, then you can’t justify killing them for meat either. If you can get by without eating dogs, you can also get by without eating other animals. Your conscience will thank you.
There is some good news in all of this, by the way. First of all, as I mentioned before, the Dog Meat festival’s attendance has been dwindling, and with it the number of dogs being killed for their meat. Thanks to efforts by activists, primarily those inside of China, the festival and the dog meat trade generally is declining. There are great organizations making efforts to help, such as China Rescue Dogs, which rescues dogs from the dog meat trade and brings them to homes in North America, Humane Society International, which has been covering the event and working with activists, and the Animals Asia foundation, which works to fight animal cruelty throughout Asia. All of these groups are laudable and worth supporting.
Secondly, if you’re looking to make a personal difference, it’s easier than ever to move to a plant-based diet. The Humane League has an excellent guide to doing so available on their website. By cutting out animal products, you’ll be making a difference in reducing harm to animals, you’ll be cutting down on your environmental impact, and you have the opportunity to discover lots of amazing dishes you haven’t tried before.
