Man escapes charges for barbecuing pet dog
Story Highlights
Man had roasted his pet dog to enjoy as a meal with his family and friends
Man's family is from Tonga where eating a dog is not uncommon
New Zealand authorities determine dog killed humanely, don't prosecute him
In New Zealand it is legal to kill an animal if it is slaughtered swiftly and painlessly
By Saeed Ahmed
CNN
(CNN) -- A man who roasted his pet dog to enjoy as a meal with his family and friends escaped prosecution after authorities in New Zealand determined the animal was killed humanely.
"We were in a dilemma at seeing something we were fairly upset about -- but being in a position of being able to do absolutely nothing about it," said Garth Halliday, of the Auckland Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, on Monday.
The SPCA -- which investigates acts of animal cruelty and presses charges -- responded to the house in Mangere, south of Auckland.
There, officers found the charred body of a Staffordshire terrier cooking in a barbecue pit. Watch why owner made decision »
"They had had the dog for a while, but the man told us his wife was getting tired of the dog. He was becoming a pest," Halliday said.
"They decided to get rid of him. But instead of bringing him to the SPCA -- which we recommend -- they decided to have a meal, and cook and eat him."
The family is from Tonga where eating a dog is not uncommon, Halliday said.
"He didn't think he was doing anything wrong," he said. Is eating dog meat acceptable? Sound Off below
The incident occurred in February. For the next few months, the SPCA looked into whether the man ought to be charged for the killing. Over the weekend, the organization decided it couldn't because the animal had been killed humanely.
The man, Halliday said, struck the dog in the head with a hammer, rendering it unconscious. He then slit its throat.
"That is the normal way -- if one can use that word -- that animals are killed all over the world," Halliday said.
And under New Zealand's Animal Welfare Act, it is legal to kill an animal if it is slaughtered swiftly and painlessly.
Dr Malakai Koloamatangi, a Tongan cultural expert from the University of Canterbury, told CNN affiliate TVNZ that dog meat is a delicacy enjoyed mostly by young men in his homeland.
Still, the case infuriated and repulsed many New Zealanders.
"It's appalling," said Gracie Williams of Auckland. "As an animal lover, I am sickened. The law needs to be changed."
Auckland Mayor John Banks, an animal rights activist, told reporters that rather than a new law, what is needed is better education of local customs.
In the end, the SPCA closed the case without charges.
"We talked to the people. We told them that although it's not against the law, it is against the general culture of the country to actually kill and eat your own pet dog," Halliday said.
Originally posted by: MrDudeMan
I know people eat dogs in some places in the world, but I can't believe after having it as a family pet they just decided to kill it and eat it.
Originally posted by: MrDudeMan
I know people eat dogs in some places in the world, but I can't believe after having it as a family pet they just decided to kill it and eat it.
In New Zealand it is legal to kill an animal if it is slaughtered swiftly and painlessly
Originally posted by: tenshodo13
Originally posted by: MrDudeMan
I know people eat dogs in some places in the world, but I can't believe after having it as a family pet they just decided to kill it and eat it.
Plenty of people do this. I had a pet Dog in Korea that we killed had stewed. It was delicious. But mostly they use "bad" breeds more or less specifically bred for the purposes of eating.
Originally posted by: mwmorph
I've been thinking about it, what is the difference between killing and eating a dog and a pig? They have been shown to have comparable intelligence and are both living animals. The only difference is YOU get attached to one and not the other because of your culture whilst this man sees both as edible animals. You can complain about moralities and what have you like in that article, but then it just go back to the old poem of the "The White Man's Burden" which satires the belief that your culture >>> their culture and therefore you must force everyone to live by your rules. be Animal rights groups FTMFL.
Originally posted by: Insomniator
How is this a story?
eating a dog is no different than eating a cow
Originally posted by: Insomniator
Originally posted by: mwmorph
I've been thinking about it, what is the difference between killing and eating a dog and a pig? They have been shown to have comparable intelligence and are both living animals. The only difference is YOU get attached to one and not the other because of your culture whilst this man sees both as edible animals. You can complain about moralities and what have you like in that article, but then it just go back to the old poem of the "The White Man's Burden" which satires the belief that your culture >>> their culture and therefore you must force everyone to live by your rules. be Animal rights groups FTMFL.
Do animal rights groups specifically protest eating a particular species? I'm pretty sure they never say its ok to kill chickens but not dogs. They just don't want either animal to be tortured, or animals in general to be eaten at all.
Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Originally posted by: Insomniator
Originally posted by: mwmorph
I've been thinking about it, what is the difference between killing and eating a dog and a pig? They have been shown to have comparable intelligence and are both living animals. The only difference is YOU get attached to one and not the other because of your culture whilst this man sees both as edible animals. You can complain about moralities and what have you like in that article, but then it just go back to the old poem of the "The White Man's Burden" which satires the belief that your culture >>> their culture and therefore you must force everyone to live by your rules. be Animal rights groups FTMFL.
Do animal rights groups specifically protest eating a particular species? I'm pretty sure they never say its ok to kill chickens but not dogs. They just don't want either animal to be tortured, or animals in general to be eaten at all.
Except dogs have been man's companion for 100s of years so obviously people will have a stronger bond. Tell me when a pig or chicken has protected a family, saved a life, assisted a disabled person, etc...
Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Except dogs have been man's companion for 100s of years so obviously people will have a stronger bond. Tell me when a pig or chicken has protected a family, saved a life, assisted a disabled person, etc...
Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Originally posted by: Insomniator
Originally posted by: mwmorph
I've been thinking about it, what is the difference between killing and eating a dog and a pig? They have been shown to have comparable intelligence and are both living animals. The only difference is YOU get attached to one and not the other because of your culture whilst this man sees both as edible animals. You can complain about moralities and what have you like in that article, but then it just go back to the old poem of the "The White Man's Burden" which satires the belief that your culture >>> their culture and therefore you must force everyone to live by your rules. be Animal rights groups FTMFL.
Do animal rights groups specifically protest eating a particular species? I'm pretty sure they never say its ok to kill chickens but not dogs. They just don't want either animal to be tortured, or animals in general to be eaten at all.
Except dogs have been man's companion for 100s of years so obviously people will have a stronger bond. Tell me when a pig or chicken has protected a family, saved a life, assisted a disabled person, etc...
Originally posted by: mwmorph
Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Originally posted by: Insomniator
Originally posted by: mwmorph
I've been thinking about it, what is the difference between killing and eating a dog and a pig? They have been shown to have comparable intelligence and are both living animals. The only difference is YOU get attached to one and not the other because of your culture whilst this man sees both as edible animals. You can complain about moralities and what have you like in that article, but then it just go back to the old poem of the "The White Man's Burden" which satires the belief that your culture >>> their culture and therefore you must force everyone to live by your rules. be Animal rights groups FTMFL.
Do animal rights groups specifically protest eating a particular species? I'm pretty sure they never say its ok to kill chickens but not dogs. They just don't want either animal to be tortured, or animals in general to be eaten at all.
Except dogs have been man's companion for 100s of years so obviously people will have a stronger bond. Tell me when a pig or chicken has protected a family, saved a life, assisted a disabled person, etc...
Again your society, not his. Not all societies domesticated dogs. Use context, I don't care about your background, this is not about you, which seems like such a hard concept for some people to grasp. It's about him, his culture and his society.
Also tell me the last time a chicken bit and killed a child.
Originally posted by: mwmorph
Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Originally posted by: Insomniator
Originally posted by: mwmorph
I've been thinking about it, what is the difference between killing and eating a dog and a pig? They have been shown to have comparable intelligence and are both living animals. The only difference is YOU get attached to one and not the other because of your culture whilst this man sees both as edible animals. You can complain about moralities and what have you like in that article, but then it just go back to the old poem of the "The White Man's Burden" which satires the belief that your culture >>> their culture and therefore you must force everyone to live by your rules. be Animal rights groups FTMFL.
Do animal rights groups specifically protest eating a particular species? I'm pretty sure they never say its ok to kill chickens but not dogs. They just don't want either animal to be tortured, or animals in general to be eaten at all.
Except dogs have been man's companion for 100s of years so obviously people will have a stronger bond. Tell me when a pig or chicken has protected a family, saved a life, assisted a disabled person, etc...
Again your society, not his. Not all societies domesticated dogs. Use context, I don't care about your background, this is not about you, which seems like such a hard concept for some people to grasp. It's about him, his culture and his society, it's about how other people view the world.
Also tell me the last time a chicken bit and killed a child.
Originally posted by: PieIsAwesome
Originally posted by: mwmorph
Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Originally posted by: Insomniator
Originally posted by: mwmorph
I've been thinking about it, what is the difference between killing and eating a dog and a pig? They have been shown to have comparable intelligence and are both living animals. The only difference is YOU get attached to one and not the other because of your culture whilst this man sees both as edible animals. You can complain about moralities and what have you like in that article, but then it just go back to the old poem of the "The White Man's Burden" which satires the belief that your culture >>> their culture and therefore you must force everyone to live by your rules. be Animal rights groups FTMFL.
Do animal rights groups specifically protest eating a particular species? I'm pretty sure they never say its ok to kill chickens but not dogs. They just don't want either animal to be tortured, or animals in general to be eaten at all.
Except dogs have been man's companion for 100s of years so obviously people will have a stronger bond. Tell me when a pig or chicken has protected a family, saved a life, assisted a disabled person, etc...
Again your society, not his. Not all societies domesticated dogs. Use context, I don't care about your background, this is not about you, which seems like such a hard concept for some people to grasp. It's about him, his culture and his society, it's about how other people view the world.
Also tell me the last time a chicken bit and killed a child.
Text
Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Originally posted by: mwmorph
Originally posted by: Capt Caveman
Originally posted by: Insomniator
Originally posted by: mwmorph
I've been thinking about it, what is the difference between killing and eating a dog and a pig? They have been shown to have comparable intelligence and are both living animals. The only difference is YOU get attached to one and not the other because of your culture whilst this man sees both as edible animals. You can complain about moralities and what have you like in that article, but then it just go back to the old poem of the "The White Man's Burden" which satires the belief that your culture >>> their culture and therefore you must force everyone to live by your rules. be Animal rights groups FTMFL.
Do animal rights groups specifically protest eating a particular species? I'm pretty sure they never say its ok to kill chickens but not dogs. They just don't want either animal to be tortured, or animals in general to be eaten at all.
Except dogs have been man's companion for 100s of years so obviously people will have a stronger bond. Tell me when a pig or chicken has protected a family, saved a life, assisted a disabled person, etc...
Again your society, not his. Not all societies domesticated dogs. Use context, I don't care about your background, this is not about you, which seems like such a hard concept for some people to grasp. It's about him, his culture and his society.
Also tell me the last time a chicken bit and killed a child.
Except this individual is living in a society that frowns upon it. Maybe, he should move back to Tonga. If I come from a society that allows the cannibalism, it should be alright to perform it here?
This. I mean is it really any worse than eating a cow? Or a chicken? Western culture doesn't really look at dogs as food, but it's acceptable in other cultures. As long as it was killed humanely I don't see the big deal.Originally posted by: Sqube
Worse than Vick? Of course not. He killed it humanely, the society of Tonga is generally accepting of the practice... nonstory, IMO.