Dogs in China

Photograph copyright Foreign Policy

Foreign Policy magazine published an interesting photo essay entitled, 'A Dog's Life in China.'  I find the piece is very representative of dogs' existence here.  The common conception is that dogs in China are simply a culinary delicacy, which is only part of the truth. Dogs are eaten, but certainly not by everyone and not everywhere.  Many Chinese do not like to eat dog, for similar reasons that say, an American, would refuse to eat it.  In addition, it is consumed seasonally, only in the winter because of the heating qualities of dog meat. It is also eaten regionally as opposed to on a national scale, and Cantonese are undoubtedly its most well known consumers.  And although of little consolation to dog lovers, it should also be mentioned that the dogs consumed are not bred dogs, but wild ones (it does not make economic sense to use expensive dog breeds for food purposes).

The photo essay also does a good job of showing the incredible pampering of domestic dogs in urban China.  Author Kristian Dowling's photographs are no exaggeration; walking down the street one can see dogs alongside their owners wearing hats, shoes and sweaters.  Small dogs are sometimes carried in purses and bags to places such as cafes, restaurants and on public transportation.