The World Cup: Soccer and Dog Meat

May, 31 2002: The world cup begins. Senegal defeats France 1:0 as the first surprise. The fact that this world cup happens to be in Japan and Korea affects the vegetarians and animal right activists: It's time to condemn eating of dog meat.

A Korean protests against dog meat

Eating dogs is apparently a Korean tradition. As the world cup starts, thousands of dog meat samples will be distributed among the visitors. Thousands have signed petitions that support the questionable tradition. The Association of dog meat selling restaurants supports the initiatives.

The dog is such a helpful and pleasant friend. In the western culture, it is a part of the family. They watch the house from burglary, defend their owners, play and have emotions just like humans. How can one imagine his best friend in a plate?

Advocates of the habit claim that the dog meat is healthy. Does it not carry the health damage of the other meat types? Are there no vegetarian substitutes for it?

What about the storing condition of the dogs? Those dogs grow confined all their life, only to get brutally killed in the end. Not only that they are murdered, a common habit is to beat them before their death in order to get more adrenaline in their blood. I doubt the better taste compensates for the murder and the torture.

When you come to eat the dog, try to remember the eyes of a beaten, confined and abused dog. It is unforgettable. This haunting view should lead the struggle for humane treatment of dogs.

The right, compassionate and enlightened path is clear: First stop the torture, then the murder. One day, I hope we will return our best friends a favor for a favor, not a slaughter for a favor. Dogs are friends, not food.