A Case For Eating Dogs Response

Jonathan Safron Foer is a renowned author and known vegetarian. His book, Eating Animals, highlights the latter. One particular section, titled "A Case For Eating Dogs," seems to go against his particular choice of diet. The section is just what you would think it would be: Safron Foer makes a particularly strong case for the consumption of man's best friend. At surface level, this would seem an iniquitous act in the world of vegetarian's, but Safron Foer's satirical tone can easily be seen after a second glance. Though Safron Foer intended the section to discourage the ingestion of canines, it has sparked a question: Why is eating dogs seen as a taboo in the United States?
In many other countries, eating dogs is seen as perfectly normal, but in The Land of the Free, it is seen as heinous. Many Americans readily consume chickens, cows, and pigs, but what sets these animals apart from dogs? Safron Foer comes up with three reasons that might explain this: “Don’t eat companion animal, don’t eat animals with significant mental capacities, and those things are bad for us.” These statements seem just, but they have their flaws. Not all countries recognize canines as companions. In fact, many see them as another source of nutrients, just as we see pigs. Along the same lines, pigs and dogs could be considered equals in regards to mental capacity. Both can be trained, and some may even argue that pigs are more valuable, considering their handiness in finding valuable truffles. "[Dogs] are bad for us." This statement could not be less true. When handled an cooked correctly, dog meat is no more harmful to us than cows or chickens. 
“Three to four million dogs and cats are euthanized annually.” This fact is almost as bad as the thought of eating our furry companions. This means that millions of pounds of consumable meat is wasted each year. Is it really wasted though? This meat is used to produce protein bits, which are then fed to livestock, and if we use our knowledge of biology and clichés, we can come to this conclusion: You are what you eat. This means that millions of Americans are inadvertently doing the unthinkable, eating dogs.

The topic of eating dogs is a particularly touchy subject for Americans. The thought of eating our beloved companions is almost too horrible to think of. Is it really something that should be avoided, though? In conclusion, eating dogs should be considered here in America. Though it would not seem humane at first, it would be a wise choice. Even someone as picky as myself would consider a dog taco.