Dog meat - Canada

[Caro18 0]

Canada
Although consumption of dog meat is not part of mainstream Canadian culture, it is practised by some cultural minorities. In 2003 , health inspectors discovered four frozen canine carcasses in the freezer of a Chinese restaurant in Edmonton.[12] Subsequently, the Edmonton health inspector said that it is not illegal to sell and eat the meat of dogs and other canines, as long as the meat has been inspected.[13] In the end, these four particular canine carcasses were found to be coyotes. Ed Greenburg, an official with Edmonton's Capital Health Region, said the fact that the animals were coyotes doesn't change anything and inspectors are still looking into the possibility that uninspected meat was served at the restaurant. Under Canada's Wildlife Act, it is illegal to sell meat from any wild species. There is no law against selling and serving canine meat, including dogs, but it must be killed and gutted in front of federal inspectors.[14]

Advocates for eating dog meat are using the on-line Wikipedia to promote and justify the eating of dog meat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_meat

[Animal 0]

Je me souviens avoir lu un article il y a quelques années, où l'on disait qu'il se vendait de la viande de chiens à Vancouver et que c'était tout-à-fait légal !

[Animal 0]

voici cet article:

«RAINING CATS AND DOGS ON VANCOUVER MENUS»

While many Asian countries are taking steps to ban the eating of cats and dogs, it's open season in the Lower Mainland. In Vancouver, it's perfectly legal to slaughter a cat or a dog for dinner. "Any animal, in fact can be eaten by anyone," John Vanderhoven, the Director of the Vancouver SPCA informed The Asian Pacific Post recently, "so long as it is done humanely. Animal laws only deal with the humane treatment of animals." That policy, however, has angered many in the city, including Mayor Phillip Owen's office. "As far as the mayor is concerned," stated an infuriated Janet Fraser, executive assistant to Mayor Philip Owen, "eating cats and dogs is absolutely unacceptable. It will never be allowed in Vancouver." "I can't understand the SPCA," bristled Fraser. "Saving pets is what they are all about." "That seething discontent, however, is unlikely to prevent anyone from doing what is acceptable under the law. For hundreds of years cats and dogs have been eaten by Asians. In traditional Chinese medicine, dogs are highly prized for their healing value. According to Dr. Martin Kwok, of the Richmond Alternative Medical Clinic, people from China's Canton province consider yellow colored dogs to be excellent for digestion and aiding kidney function. They are supposedly also good for boosting energy levels, and consequently are often consumed over winter. For Maria Matheson, who owns a Dalmatian pup, the health aspect of cat or dog meat is difficult to digest. She was sickened by the thought of anyone eating a cat or dog. "It's like cannibalism to me. It'd be like eating your brother or sister." Unlike cannibalism, however, eating a cat or dog is not a criminal offence. As far as the Vancouver Police is concerned, its not an incident that is deserving of their attention. "The criminal code deals with people not animals," stated Janice Williams, assistant to Constable Anne Drennan of the Vancouver Police Department. "If it's nor protected under the criminal code, then it's not in our jurisdiction. Regulation of food consumption does, however, fall into the jurisdiction of the Richmond Vancouver health board. Like the police, and the SPCA, the health board also does not see a problem with eating cats and dogs. "We have no restrictions on the killing of cats and dogs for personal consumption," explains Kelvin Hugo, the Chief Health Inspector of Richmond, "no more than we do for people going to hunt a deer, a moose, or a bunny rabbit in the backyard." "The only stickler is in the meat inspection area," he continued. "In Canada, all meat has to be processed through registered plants. Because cats and dogs are nor considered as food animals, they cannot be processed and therefore sold in shops." The list of food animals currently butchered in Canada is growing. In the recent past, ostrich meat. has been added to the list, and currently a new bid for kangaroo meat is being considered. Whether household pets find their way into grocery stores depends on the persuasiveness of lobby efforts. Some people found that thought enticing. Randy Doncaster, the Manager of the Cat and Fiddle Neighborhood Pub in Coquitlam, stated that he would try the meat if given the opportunity. "I personally wouldn't have anything against eating a cat or dog if it was properly cooked. It's just meat like everything else, like grouse, or rabbit. I wouldn't have a problem if it was cooked up in shish-kabob style.

http://www.aapn.org/fooddogsna.html