Puppy Chow - Pet Owners Beware

‘Tis the season - for eating dog. Apparently winter is the time for eating dog meat, much to the chagrin of dog owners and lovers all over China. While dog meat is considered a great source of nutrition for the winter, there are no health or safety guidelines for slaughtering and the source of the meat often leaves owners without a pooch – pet owners beware.

According to the Global Times, wintertime is when “the season of slaughter is nigh for urban dogs as diners begin to seek out the foods that they believe provide vigor and health in cold weather.”

While odd eating options are usual in Beijing, it’s not often that those choices include the family pet.

The article warns that “winter is a bad season for dogs and their owners”. Owners should keep an extra eye on their pets and not let them out by themselves during the winter. Reports of missing dogs increase in the winter as people look for dogs on the loose to sell to restaurants.

Those that don’t have squeamish feelings about ingesting dog should watch out for health reasons as there are no rules for the slaughter of dogs, or restrictions on what dogs may be used for meat. The way “dog dealers [slaughter] the meat is unsanitary,” warns the Global Times article.