The Inhumane Practice of Dog Meat Markets

Around 10-20 million dogs are killed every year in China for meat. In South Korea and Indonesia, it’s about 1 million each, and in Vietnam, it’s around 5 million (according to HSI). Eating dog meat happens all over the world, but some countries have banned it. Eating dog meat is not healthy and can actually be really dangerous for you. This practice raises significant ethical and health concerns.

In China, there’s a 10-day festival called the Lychee and Dog Meat Festival. During this festival, about 10,000 to 15,000 dogs are killed. Thankfully, this number is going down because more people in China are against it. Despite the opposition, the festival continues to draw attention and controversy every year.

People eat dog meat because they think it helps with stamina and virility, but it’s the opposite. Dog meat isn’t good for you and doesn’t have much protein. It’s also risky because it can have parasites and diseases like Rabies, Trichinellosis, Echinococcosis, Salmonellosis, Campylobacteriosis, Hepatitis E, and more (according to HSI). These health risks make consuming dog meat extremely dangerous for humans.

When you look at dog shelters, you often see dogs with notes saying they were rescued from meat markets. There are also shelters focused on saving dogs from East Asian meat markets, and they have hundreds of dogs. These shelters work tirelessly to rehabilitate and rehome these traumatized animals.

I think killing dogs for meat should be illegal worldwide. It’s a terrible practice, often just for a festival. Dog meat isn’t healthy, and the conditions these dogs are kept in are horrible. Even the dogs that survive are scarred for life. We should shut down all these meat markets and help the dogs who are at risk of being killed. By raising awareness and advocating for change, we can make a difference for these innocent animals.