The Unregulated Dog and Cat Meat Trade and The Ancient Food Processing System
There exists an unregulated dog and cat meat trade across many parts of Asia. This includes large rural regions of China, S.Korea, Cambodia, Lao and Vietnam. The World Animal Health Organization, along with the UN FAO, do not yet recognize dogs and cats as food and neither do the governments. With the trade being unregulated, it would be very helpful to rural transformation (e.g. bring it in line with the ethos of the SDGs) if the traditional dog meat production and processing methods, could be discussed at a high level and hopefully later with governments, as a way to help transform them. With it being an unregulated trade, often steeped in ancient supersition, The UN Food System Transformation, and Rural Transformation agenda, would be an ideal time to shed light on the matter.
The main concerns being that up to 20% of dogs and cats in the meat trade are subjected to an ancient and unethical processing method, which collected graphic evidence shows, is simliar across all the countries mentioned above. This includes boiling alive, blow torching alive, steaming alive, sometimes over a matter of hours. Sadly this is due to a belief that the more pain the animal suffers, the better quality the meat will be. This is not in line with humane slaughter as stated by OIE in their Terresital Code.. The rest of the dogs and cats in the meat trade who do receive a humane slaughter, sadly do not receive the basic animal welfare that the OIE and FAO advocates, for example free from fear, protected from cold/heat, safe transportation, water.
Ali Dolloso