Dog Meat

[Wino]

I knew dog meat was eaten in parts of Vietnam, but did not realize it was popular in Thailand, as well. This article is an interesting expose. Is there a law against eating dog?

EXPOSING NORTH-EASTERN THAILAND’S ILLEGAL DOG MEAT TRADE

A recent investigation by foreign journalists has uncovered the gruesome dog meat trade that flourishes in North Eastern Thailand, specifically in the village of Ta Rae, Nakhon Phanom.

Thailand, the 4th of December 2009 [PDN]: A recent report uncovered the illegal trafficking of dog meat from Thailand to Vietnam, where the price of the meat has exceeded that of pork and is considered somewhat of a delicacy by locals. Due to alleged corrupt politicians and police officers the trade has been allowed to continue for generations with everyone benefiting from the profitable trafficking. The illegal business provides workers with a better income and way off life than if they were to be rice farmers like many other inhabitants of North Eastern Thailand.

Due to such a prevalence of stray dogs in Thailand (similar to the Kangaroo situation in outback Australian), coupled with the demand for the meat in Vietnam, the illegal trade has become very lucrative for some enterprising villagers. The locals have taken to trapping, killing and butchering the stray dogs before selling them to the Vietnam. The profitable trade nets a big return for the poor farmers of the area and allegedly the corrupt government officials.

In the small majority Catholic village of Ta Rae in the majority Buddhist Thailand have become dependant on the underground market for dog meat, with many quitting the farming life entirely in order to catch and butcher stray dogs. Local farmers are eager to be rid of the stray dogs as they a considered somewhat of a pest due to their propensity to eat the farmer’s chickens. The villagers - once the dogs are butchered - sell the prepared meat to Vietnamese distributors for US$10 a dog.

A Nakhon Phanom parliament representative, Mr Phumpat Pachonsap, explained that corruption within the local government has allowed the illegal trade to continue, becoming more prevalent than ever. Mr Pachonsap stated that "The exporting of dogs, it’s a mafia. It’s a big network involving lower-level politicians up to high-level politicians. There’s a huge profit. The benefit is huge. The profit is huge. Even the police are getting money out of it."

On the other side of the story, a local villager who is involved in the dog catching trade, Mr Wit (who wishes to remain anonymous) explained "I’ve never stopped to ask if this is wrong, it’s a way of life, passed down from the older generations. This is what my family has taught me."

Note: There is always two sides to a coin, in the midst of poverty in the region locals have looked to find a better way to provide for their families, illegal or otherwise the trade is giving some locals the chance of a better life. Will something be done about the alleged corruption? Who knows, but lets just hope that when this illegal market is finally stopped, the government of the province does not leave it’s citizens high and dry with no way to survive.

http://www.pattayada...NEWS=0000011317

[Beer Chang]

Also Sakhon Nakhom is known for eating dogmeat.

[Wino]

When traveling in Northern Vietnam, I went to a market in a small town. I was surprised to see two dogs in a cage for sale. They looked to be similar to a husky breed. The guide said they will be slaughtered for food. I didn’t see any cats for sale.

[Thaimo]

I recall reading somewhere that the Chow, from China, was originally bred for food and that is where the slang term "chow," a term that means food, came from.

[Wino]

I am not too good with breeds of dogs. They could have been chows. They were stocky little critters and I guess that is what the locals wanted.

[Wino]

I recently saw a television program on China. The main character, a Mr. Mertons visited a row of restaurants in which dog meat was the specialty. I did not find the dishes appetizing but the place was crowded with patrons.

[lvdkeyes]

I have never knowingly eaten dog and out of principle would I.

[Bob]

I have never knowingly eaten dog and out of principle would I.

Not too eager to bite into a juicy slab of lab?

I've not seen dog being offered for sale anywhere in Thailand but I've heard from Isaan guys that it is eaten by a few on rare occasion. I remember asking if they eat their own dogs (thinking, of course, that's a bit gross). The answer went something like this: "No, no! We would never eat our own dogs as they are our pets and family. But if our neighbor has a bad dog and our neighbor goes away for a while, maybe his dog is eaten while he's gone."

[somewhat in a similar vein, a newspaper reporter was driving out in farm country and he stumbled upon a farmhouse which had a very cute pen in the front yard holding a pig with a peg leg. Thinking it'd be a good story, he stopped and asked the farmer there if he would tell him about the story of the pig with the peg leg. Well, the farmer said, about 10 years ago, our house caught on fire during the middle of the night, this pig started squealing at the top of his lungs, and he woke us all up and saved our lives! Okay, the reporter said, but what about the peg leg? The farmer continued: Well, then about 5 years ago, my boy fell into the pond over there and was drowning and this here pig jumped out of his pen, dove in the pond, pulled my boy to safety, and saved his life! Geez, Mr. Farmer, the reporter continued, I've asked about the peg leg twice and all you do is tell me stories about the pig's heroic acts! Well, good god, man, the farmer said, you simply can't eat a pig like this all at once!]