It’s a man eat dog kinda world

In an essay somewhere between satire and poignancy, author Jonathan Safron Foer wonders why we don’t eat dog meat.

Despite the fact that it’s perfectly legal in 44 states, eating “man’s best friend” is as taboo as a man eating his best friend. Even the most

enthusiastic carnivores won’t eat dogs…. Our taboo against dog eating says something about dogs and a great deal about us.

Foer goes on to examine the cultural mores and history surrounding the cooking and eating of canines, in large part to get people to start to discuss the treatment of livestock in relation to their pets. Safron Foer’s first work of nonfiction — Eating Animals — discusses his move towards vegetarianism in light of the recent adoption of his dog George.

“She changed things for me,” Foer tells Guy Raz of National Public Radio. “This dog opened up the way that I thought about animals.”