I'd eat that dog.

[Balcan]

I think there are 11 countries worldwide that eat dog meat. A lot of people find this controversial. My question is - why is it "acceptable" to eat some animals but not others? You didn't hesitate to devour that pork chop. I resent animal cruelty but if an animal is killed humanely and is tasty, I have no problem eating it.

[galled]

I guess for me it would depend on how hungry I was and what was available to eat!

My gut (LOL) tells me that the reason we don't eat dogs in the west is out of respect as we view dogs as companions. "Man's best friend" is akin to cannibalism to me. :0

[Diana]

Haha. What an unexpected question!
There are a lot of animals that we eat or dont eat based on our cultures- some dont eat pigs, others dont eat cows... most of us dont eat dogs.
I have found I really like wild elk, it tastes like beef, but far less fatty. Most people I know dont like it because it tastes "gamey" to them, or because elk are akin to deer and are supposed to be beautiful and serene, and it is unappetizing to eat that. Like galled said, people attribute dogs to being companions.
I wonder what it would be like to have dog. Most of the animals we eat out west are herbivores. That may also be a factor?

[Bassy]

North Americans, Europeans, and other countries consider pets as dogs but some countries it's not viewed as pets, it is viewed as food i guess. (I been brain dead, i cant find the right words for things...ahgahagag)
There actually people who eat seals, but I never thought people eat them! They're so dang cute! And cows are sacred in India, they don't eat cows, but we do since we don't see them sacred or religious.

[Balcan]

I'm aware that animals we eat are usually not carnivorous. Dogs would be very lean and probably not as tasty.

Rabbits are also cute. We eat them. I hate dogs, but that's not why I don't object to eating them. I am a cat lover for example. I wouldn't drool over the thought of eating a cat, but if I'm hungry and it's served over a side and paired with a nice wine...chow time. I'm don't get personal with my food. That's just who I am - not easily shocked and an advocate of personal freedom (within reason).

[Diana]

haha. I have a friend from high school who's family got a rabbit for food. People would come over and go "oh, what a cute pet", then she'd awkwardly explain her family was going to eat it.

For me, I feel like rabbit, rat, etc. are too small to eat. There's not a whole lot of meat on them!
I suppose if I was pretty hungry, or it was nicely prepared, I'd try it out. I don't think I'd go out of my way to order it though.

[Lemon Cheesecake]

I wouldn't eat the dog, I wouldn't eat the cat...unless I was starving and had no other option.

If I went to another country I'd be careful to ask what I was eating.

That said, I have eaten rabbit - it tastes very similar to chicken but more lean. And I had no problem so long as it was skinned already. I've also had frogs legs (well, I tasted the ones my friend ordered). I've tried moose and deer but can't say I'd eat it again. I don't like the "animal" flavor. I also don't like lamb or goat though.

Absolutely would not go out of my way to try it.

[Ryvvi]

it could also be connected to usefulness? like dogs were usually used to hunt for other food so i mean it was better to train the dog up to help you find more food, then its too useful to eat? whereas like... the herbivore animals are used for food and not much else. Like most people dont eat oxen and bulls in countries where they use them to farm food i think?

[galled]

For me, I feel like rabbit, rat, etc. are too small to eat.

That's because those are appetizers! The main course is Iguana!

[Hocus Pocus]

I think it's mostly because dogs are more commonly considered pets. Pigs can be too, but they aren't as commonly seen as pets as say dogs or cats are.

[Havoc]

haha. I have a friend from high school who's family got a rabbit for food.

Rabbits are supposedly extremely tasty though I have never tasted it

[Balcan]

Of all the dogs in the world, far from every one is designed to hunt. I don't really value any one animal's life more than another. That is not implying that I don't value animal lives. I just have no bias when eating them.

[galled]

Have you ever owned a dog or pet? Just wondering if you could eat it/them if you have. I think it's interesting how humans project onto animals and in some cases inanimate objects and virtual things. Robots will be a huge adjustment for us.

[Axiom]

Well, I'm vegan, so all animals are off-limits for me, but I agree completely with the premise that no species of animal should be more or less acceptable to eat than any other. I find it extremely hypocritical that many people consider themselves "animal lovers" when their love only extends to an arbitrary selection of animal species. They speak out against poachers and abusive pet owners, but they eat at Burger King and don't give a second thought to the animal abuse that went on in the factory farm their Whopper came from.

While I don't morally agree with eating animals in the first place, I respect Balcan's position because at least it's consistent and not hypocritical.

[Balcan]

I own a cat. To answer your question, I would not eat my own cat. Not because of any personal moral reasons, but because I currently value him more as my pet than my meal. It's my priority. However if offered cat meat in general, I wouldn't turn it down if I wanted to eat it. I wouldn't try to forbid anyone else to eat cat meat solely because I like my cat.

Axiom - first of all, I do not ask that you agree with me. After all, it is not a debate if everyone is on the same side. I am interested in different perspectives - another person's opinion based on logic and reasoning rather than pure emotion. Instead of someone getting heated and calling me a "sick, depraved fuck" because they don't share my opinion, I want to know their thought process. At what point did you choose veganism and what motivated it?

*also feel free to participate in any of my other threads