Dog meat
Dog meat is the flesh and other edible parts derived from dogs. Historically, human consumption of dog meat has been recorded in many parts of the world.[4]
This article is about human consumption of dog flesh and parts. For meat eaten by dogs themselves, see dog food. For the character in the Fallout series of video games, see Dogmeat (Fallout).Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
1,096 kJ (262 kcal)
0 g
Quantity
Quantity
Quantity
60.1 g
44.4 mg
0.8 g
In the 21st century, dog meat is consumed to a limited extent in Korea, China,[5] Indonesia, Nigeria,[6] Switzerland,[7] Vietnam,[8] and India;[9] and it is eaten or is legal to be eaten in other countries throughout the world. Some cultures view the consumption of dog meat as part of their traditional, ritualistic, or day-to-day cuisine, and other cultures consider consumption of dog meat a taboo, even where it had been consumed in the past. Opinions also vary drastically across different regions within different countries.[10][11] It was estimated in 2014 that worldwide, 27 million dogs are eaten each year by humans.[12]
Religious dietary laws
According to kashrut, Jewish dietary law, it is forbidden to consume the flesh of terrestrial mammals that do not chew their cud and have cloven hooves, which includes dogs.[41]
In most Islamic dietary laws, the consumption of the flesh of a dog, or any carnivorous animal, or any animal bearing fangs, claws, fingers or reptilian scales, is prohibited. Only in the Maliki school is it makruh, meaning disliked, but not prohibited.[42]
Dogs as survival food
Wars and famines
In most European countries, the consumption of dog meat is taboo. Exceptions occurred in times of scarcity, such as sieges or famines.
In Germany, dog meat has been eaten in every major crisis since at least the time of Frederick the Great, and was commonly referred to as "blockade mutton".[10]
During the 19th century westward movement in the United States, mountainmen, Native Americans, the U.S. Army, as well as the Confederacy during the American Civil War[43] frequently had to sustain themselves on dog meat; the first to be consumed would be the horses, then the mules, and lastly the dogs.[44]
Other dog products
Central Asia
According to Eurasianet, dog fat is seen as a well-established would-be treatment for tuberculosis in parts of Central Asia.[317] The fat has reportedly been used as a folk remedy for COVID-19 in Uzbekistan[318] and Kyrgyzstan.[317]
Poland
Eating dog meat is taboo in Polish culture. However, since the 16th century, fat from various animals, including dogs, was used as part of folk medicine, and since the 18th century dog fat has had a reputation as being beneficial for the lungs. According to Polityka magazine, the main producers of dog fat in 19th- and early 20th-century Poland were Gypsies.[319] While making lard, or smalec, out of dogs' fat is currently discouraged in the country,[320] this practice continues in some rural areas, especially Lesser Poland.[321][322]
In 2009, Polish prosecutors reportedly found that a farm near Częstochowa was overfeeding dogs to be rendered down into lard.[323][320] According to Grażyna Zawada, from Gazeta Wyborcza, there were farms in Częstochowa, Kłobuck, 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 and sentenced to jail.[319] However, the Krakow Post reported that a man who had admitted to stealing and killing dogs for lard in 2009 at Wieliczka was found not guilty of any crimes by the court, who ruled that the dogs had been slaughtered humanely for culinary purposes.[324] As of 2014, there have been new cases prosecuted.[325]
Dog breeds used for meat
The Nureongi in Korea is most often used as a livestock dog, raised for its meat, and not commonly kept as pets.[328][329] In 2015, The Korea Observer reported that many different pet breeds of dog are eaten in South Korea, including Labrador Retrievers and Cocker Spaniels, and that the dogs slaughtered for their meat may include former pets.[251]
The Tosa, or Japanese Fighting Dog is replacing older breeds or mutts in South Korea. The Tosa is not commonly a pet and is banned in multiple countries; it is also very lean with a little bit of fat, making it perfect for meat production. Currently only Government-Approved dog farms in Korea raise Tosa for meat.[330]
The Dabengou translated as "Big Dumb Dog" is the most used dog in dog meat farms in China. They are mutts produced by breeding St. Bernard dogs from Russia or Kazakhstan with local Chinese dogs. This produces a "beef" like texture of fat and lean, allowing the dog meat to be made into more tender dishes like burgers, sausages or steaks. They also produce larger amounts of pups, weigh over 90 Kg, grow up faster and are immune to most dog diseases. A single St. Bernard from a premium Chinese breeding farm can range from $3000–4000 since it is desired so much to produce larger mutts.[331]
Tang Dogs are prized as a companion and watch dog but are also occasionally used for hunting and as meat dogs.[332][333]
The Chow Chow was also known as "Chinese Edible-Dog" because after the Han dynasty collapsed, they were fattened and bred with Chinese breeds for meat. Today, Chinese dog farms still raise Chow Chow for the purpose of eating; black coated ones are valued due to their taste when fried, while the rest are typically turned into stews.[334]
The Xoloitzcuintli, or Mexican hairless dog, is one of several breeds of hairless dog and has been used as a historical source of food for the Aztec Empire.[13]
The extinct Hawaiian Poi Dog and Polynesian Dog were breeds of pariah dog used by Native Hawaiians as a spiritual protector of children and as a source of food.[35][36]
The extinct Tahitian Dog was a food source, and served by high ranking chiefs to the early European explorers who visited the islands. Captain James Cook and his crew developed a taste for the dog, with Cook noting, "For tame Animals they have Hogs, Fowls, and Dogs, the latter of which we learned to Eat from them, and few were there of us but what allow'd that a South Sea dog was next to an English Lamb."[335][336][337]