Dogs popular on Chinese dinner plates

Dogs popular on Chinese dinner plates

The World Today - Friday, 5 May , 2006 12:56:00
Reporter: John Taylor
ELEANOR HALL: Now to the final part of our series on Dogs in China.

As we've been hearing over the last couple of days, pet ownership is booming in China, particularly amongst the burgeoning middle-class.

One hundred and fifty million pet pooches and counting is a lot of mouths to feed, and bodies to pamper.

And, just as in the west, pet care has now become a multi-billion dollar industry.

But while a new industry emerges in China, an old one, which sees dogs on the dinner plate, is also thriving, as China Correspondent John Taylor reports.

(sound of mastiffs barking)

JOHN TAYLOR: Ma Junren runs a profitable business that only a few decades ago was unthinkable here.

He breeds pedigree dogs – enormous Tibetan mastiffs. They're so fearsome he wouldn't let me out of his building while they were loose in his compound.

"The Tibetan mastiff is absolutely loyal to its owners and will fight for the owners' safety with their blood and lives. They represent the characteristics of the Chinese people, and they are a symbol of Chinese culture."

Former national athletics coach Ma Junren has a lucrative business breeding and selling Tibetan mastiffs. Some go for as much as $25,000.

He has dozens of dogs, each housed separately in their own pen. His office walls are lined with trophies and awards. The whole place smells of dogs, and money.

"These two are the national number one son and daughter," he says, holding two 45-day-old puppies in his arms.

"They are extremely excellent mastiffs," he says.

From almost nothing two decades ago, the market for pets and pet-related products in China now exceeds $2-billion a year. People in the industry are hopeful this year might even give it a big kick along, because it's the first Year of the Dog to fall since the country's boom in pet ownership began.

Regardless, breeders like Mr Ma appear to be doing very well. And so are his dogs.

Mr Ma says China's pet boom actually threw a lifeline to the breed.

"In the 1980s the Tibetan mastiff was facing extinction, with only about 100 left in the world. Now, thanks to the efforts of Tibetan mastiff lovers from both China and around the world, there are more Tibetan mastiffs than before."

Compassion for cats is another issue.

(sound of cats meowing)

At one stage a pack of mastiffs were loose in a large fenced off area. Then one of the staff threw a cat in, and the dogs immediately tried to pounce on it.

An unapologetic Mr Ma afterwards said it was a game to encourage the dogs to exercise.

"Just as we saw, they've already caught the cat, but they didn't hurt it. If it wasn't a cat they might bite it."

The cat lived to see another day of torment.

But in China, there's another practice involving dogs that one certain cat might be pleased to know about.

(sound of meat sizzling)

China is the world's greatest consumer of dog meat, eating as many as 20 million dogs a year.

Many die horrible deaths in live animal markets.

But in Beijing, Dog restaurateur Wang Qiming says business is good.

"There are many who eat dogs. Before, young people didn't, but now they do."

Dog meat is claimed to be a warming winter dish that's good for the circulation and sperm.

On this day a group of office workers have come to Mr Wang's restaurant.

(sound of office workers speaking)

"Is it easy to boil the skin thoroughly?" a man asks his colleagues, while another man says: "the skin is delicious."

The dogs used are a cross between a local Chinese breed and a St Bernard.

Not all Swiss people are happy about this, but the dogs apparently grow fast and big, and the meat is tender with little fat.

More than 1,000 a year end up in the kitchen.

Restaurants claim that the boom in dog ownership in China hasn't caused a decline in the eating of dogs.

Chef Zhang Jinxiong says business has never been better.

"Dog meat is a good dish. If everyone misses the opportunity to eat it, in the future they may regret it."

So this is China in 2006, the Year of the Dog: a nation at once embracing the canine as a pet, a way to make money, and as food.

And perhaps, as can only be happening in China, all are booming at the same time.

China's economic rise over the past two decades has improved the lives of millions of people – lots, but certainly not all, and certainly not equally.

And the same goes for man's best friend.

This is John Taylor in Beijing, for The World Today.


http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/con...6/s1631531.htm



The Chinese eat almost everything that's eatable lol. Also endangered animals for parts like their bones which in traditional chinese medicine are thought to be able to cure all kinds of diseases and other nonsense. Driving them further near extinction.

It's very sad that they still eat dogs. It's strange that they have double views on dogs as pets and as food. How can someone have a pet dog and also eat dogs for dinner? :/

It's quite funny how they think Tibetan mastiffs are chinese in characteristics and represent the chinese culture. Since those dogs remain of Tibetan origin. That may be one of the few things the chinese don't destroy of Tibetan culture.

20 million dogs eaten in China every year is really a lot. Maybe the habit of eating dogs (not sure if they eat cats too) will decline over time or maybe not. What do you think about this?

To be brief, I don't see it different to eat a dog than to eat a cow, a pig, or a herring.

It's hypocritical to judge them and go home to eat a steak.

On a side note, in the future, it would be best to offer perhaps an exerpt of the article, a link to it, and then your analysis. The article is very long to have in your opening post.

Why is eating dogs any worse than eating cows? The only reason we don't see them on our plates in north america is cause we domesticate them and find them adorable.

edit: whoops, Trico beat me to it...

Originally Posted by Trico

To be brief, I don't see it different to eat a dog than to eat a cow, a pig, or a herring.

It's hypocritical to judge them and go home to eat a steak.

However, most people don't keep cows, pigs, and herrings as pets. At least, not as many as the ones who keep dogs and cats. It is a little strange how a nation that nearly idolizes dogs eats over 20 million of them a year. Sure, food is food, but I know for a fact that, being the owner of a dog, I wouldn't be able to eat one. I'd really like to know if some of the people who do eat dogs own them, too?

Eating dogs really isn't any worse than eating other animals, it just seems a little bit...odd.

I hate that so much...

Dogs are totally different from a cow, why? Because a dog is lovable and loves you, while a cow would probably rather attack you, I kid not. Also, dogs are on a far higher intelectual stage than a cow is.

I do think it is a bit hypocritical that we say stuff against them for eating dogs, yet we go and eat cows. I mean they are all animals, right?

As for the cats that were tossed into the cage with dogs, that is just downright wrong. Cats are not meant to be used as an "exercise" for the dogs. At least the dogs don't eat the cat.

Dogs don't have much meat on them!

Morallity?

Originally Posted by Scoria

I hate that so much...

Dogs are totally different from a cow, why? Because a dog is lovable and loves you, while a cow would probably rather attack you, I kid not. Also, dogs are on a far higher intelectual stage than a cow is.

What about feeding horse flesh to dogs? What about eating birds that could become friendly? Both of those are done here, yet I see no public outcry.

Also, how do you define intelligence?

Let's try defining intelligence by love here shall we? So birds for instance are intelligent, but they are only intelligent by a certain degree in what they know how to do, parrots, another type of bird, have a far greater intelligence and as such, know how to love.

While I think that it is hipocritical to claim eatting dogs is wrong while eatting a hamburger, I very, very much against this. Dogs are way different from other animals. Ever heard of "man's best friend"? But, while I'm against it, I can't properly object to it. Not while I eat other animals.

Affection to another species is it. While cows and certain types of birds are seemingly "programmed" with what they must do in their life. (short but to the point)

Originally Posted by Scoria

I hate that so much...

Dogs are totally different from a cow, why? Because a dog is lovable and loves you, while a cow would probably rather attack you, I kid not. Also, dogs are on a far higher intelectual stage than a cow is.

I've been attacked many more times by dogs than by cows...and yes, I have seen a lot of cows. Please support your claims. I'm sure if we domesticated cows, we'd convince ourselves that they love us. Dogs and cows really aren't that different.

Let's try defining intelligence by love here shall we? So birds for instance are intelligent, but they are only intelligent by a certain degree in what they know how to do, parrots, another type of bird, have a far greater intelligence and as such, know how to love.

Intelligence is defined by love? Kinda makes you wonder what your version of an IQ test would be...

Why don't you give us evidence that these animals are more intelligent. The argument is very hard to make, because nobody really knows what intelligence is. A dog can smell drugs in a bag, but that doesn't make it smart. That just makes it a good smeller. The intelligence I see is not in having such an ability, but rather in figuring out that we can use dogs to sniff for drugs.


I'm also curious - where and how do you draw the line between animals you can and can't eat? Could we eat a horse? A goat? A rabbit? At what point is there "too much intelligence" to eat that animal? Can we eat stupid dogs, but not smart ones? Can we eat the angry ones?

Pigs are intelligent and the most human like animal alive right now...I do think its wrong to eat a dog but I also think its wrong to eat pig..Its just different views to the world...Every religion and culture has their different views on what and what not to eat...If the Chinese culture says its ok to eat a dog..by all means they can eat dog...but if their eating something thats going extinct I think thats going a bit over the line..

I think what Scoria is trying to say any animal that can love a different species and not hurt them without getting hurt themselves shouldn't be killed and eaten...I agree but I do think cows are able to love so it would be pretty hard getting meat..

Complex moral and philosophical problems resolved instantaneously! Only on the internet!

After tens of centuries of studying the nature of the mind, one of the few points of consensus as to what distinguishes us from plants and animals is that we can only really define intelligence insofar as it relates to ourselves as human beings. We hold human intelligence in a particular light that would separate it from those of animals, and no animals approach our ability for higher-order thought processes by any stretch. "Love" doesn't qualify: You'd be hard-pressed to find any mammal that doesn't seem to express it in some form.

As much as I dislike dichotomies, I'm inclined to argue "all or nothing" based on that: Either it's okay to eat all types of animals, or it isn't. Meat is meat and food is food. And it seems somewhat absurd that I'd distinguish one class animal as inedible because people keep them as pets while stuffing myself with animals considered holy or ethically verboten by another.

Hmm.. interesting.
I do believe that in Islam ( I forget where I have heard this but for some reason it's deeply rooted) that we're allowed to eat herbivores but should shy away, as much as possible, from consuming carnivores such as cats, dogs etc etc - that is only done in times of extreme need.
I'm not sure why eXActly. The only biological reason I could think of is that energy levels available in each subsquent food level decrease exponentially. So, you won't really get much value for eating a dog as you would a .. chicken for instance. So, since there isn't much nutritional value in their meat, it's not really justified to eat them.
This is just speculation on my part and I doubt that i could be able to argue it satisfactorily xD
..
I love cats and dogs ;_;

Originally Posted by Mad Hatter

Intelligence is defined by love? Kinda makes you wonder what your version of an IQ test would be...

I was trying to use a good example... what I was trying to say was that I see intelligence as being able to go outside the boundaries of living out of pure instinct, and instinct being like a game, it can only do what it's programmed to do. Free will... if you will.

I don't have a problem with people eating dogs. I don't know if I would eat one, unless I happened to like it. Then, I suppose, I wouldn't care. I'm not a huge dog person (as I don't have any pets, myself), but my brother is. I don't know if he would appreciate me eating what could have been my neighbor's "Fido."

It's all how you look at it, of course. I heard people got mad a year or so ago because people were selling horse meat in America. I thought it was stupid that people would say "You can't eat horses! That's just not right!" And then they'd go to Saltgrass or wherever and eat a cow, which happens to look very similar to a horse.