Should eating dogs be banned in China?

ABC808 (China)

Eating, or not eating dog meat is a matter of personal choice. It is customary for people to eat a specific kind of food on a specific occasion. Slaughtering chickens and pigs for Spring Festival, eating turkey on Thanksgiving Day, and slaughtering cows and sheep on Eide-Qurban are examples of some accepted customs.

Eating dog meat is an old custom. We often apply modern standards to judge traditional customs and practices. Animal lovers, especially dog lovers, can stay away from dog meat, but they cannot force others to do the same.

I have always had a dog at home and love animals in general, and I know the value of dogs. But not all people know that. It takes time to educate people that certain things are no longer acceptable in society. Besides, the older generation has a hard time adapting to the ways of modern society.

For example, it took years of campaigning to make people understand that throwing garbage and spitting in the streets and other public places are habits that have no place in today's society. Although some people still indulge in such practices, they will hopefully stop doing so with the passage of time.

Cats are trapped in cages for sale on June 17, 2015 as Yulin's annual dog meat festival is around the corner.[Photo/IC]