I don’t like the idea of people eating or otherwise hunting endangered animal species such as sharks. I also have a problem with people mistreating animals.
I do not, however, have a problem with people eating small animals at the lower end of the food chain — including cats and dogs.
I note this in light of the House of Representatives vote on Wednesday to ban the eating of cats and dogs. The “Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2018” doesn’t simply ban the slaughter of these animals for “human consumption;” it bans any act to “ship, transport, move, deliver, receive, possess, purchase, sell, or donate” such made-for-consumption products. That equates to a ban on consumption.
This is bad governance in action.
First off, there is no shortage of cats and dogs. So, if people want to eat these animals, then why not let them?
Second, America’s cat- and dog-eaters are not going to give up eating their favored dishes just because of this ban. In fact, by proscribing the absence of lawful, humane, and hygienic slaughterers, it is now more likely that more cats and dogs will be kidnapped and/or slaughtered in inhumane ways.
This act does nothing to stop cats and dogs from being stolen for food, which is already illegal. But more importantly, this is an infringement on valued cultural customs. While the legislation grants approval to Native American tribes to slaughter cats and dogs in ceremonies, it does not allow other cultures to continue eating that which they please.
I have absolutely no interest or desire in eating either cat or dog meat. But I do respect the Chinese and Korean cultures, where a range of cat and dog-based meals are popular and even viewed as medicinal. In Korean culture, for example, dog meat is valued for a range of historical and taste-bud based reasons. And in China, cats and dogs are sold as cheap, protein-based foods at street markets across the nation.
Ultimately, I don’t care how many Chinese-Americans and Korean-Americans like eating cats and dogs. In deference to individual freedom, I simply believe in the right of individual Americans to eat cats and dogs as long as those animals are treated humanely prior to being slaughtered. And I find it pathetic that so many Republicans have signed their name to this act.
