17 Countries That Eat Dogs and Why They Do It

Here's a sad truth: some countries eat dogs to this day, and their governments don't do anything to stop this.

We're a community of dog lovers here.

We love our pets and treat them as furry family members.

So it's deeply saddening and bothersome that farming, stealing, and brutally slaughtering these innocent dogs are still commonplace in some parts of the world.

In some countries like China, Vietnam, and North Korea, where millions of dogs are eaten by humans each year, this is far more common than anywhere else.

Below, we'll list 17 known countries (alphabetically) that regularly consume dog meat and why they're eaten there.

Links on how you can help stop the trading and eating of dog meat are also provided.

ALSO READ: The Business of Dog Smuggling and How It Works

17 Countries That Still Eat Dog Meat

1. Cameroon

There isn't much written about the reasons and practices of dog eating in Cameroon.

According to a report by the Humane Society International, an estimated 30,000 dogs are killed and eaten in the country each year.

The consumption of dog meat is particularly prevalent in the country's southern regions, where it is viewed as a cultural tradition and a valuable source of protein.

There are several reasons why some Cameroonians consume dog meat, also known as 404 in this African country.

For many, it is a cultural tradition that has been passed down through generations.

Some believe that dog meat has medicinal properties and can cure various ailments, including malaria and rheumatism.

Others view it as a delicacy and a symbol of social status.

Other times, though, they believe that 404 particularly helps with libido.

2. China

This Asian country is the largest consumer of dog meat in the world.

According to a 2017 report by the Humane Society International, it is estimated that 10 to 20 million dogs are killed and consumed here each year.

Consuming dog meat in China is legal, and there are no guidelines or regulations in place for the slaughtering, manufacturing, and eating of dogs.

Many or most dogs that are killed and eaten there never receive vaccinations.

Many have lived in extremely poor conditions, causing these dogs to have a wide variety of diseases that can make the people who consume them sick.

Dog meat has even caused outbreaks of the canine parasitic Trichinella infection among the Chinese.

Chinese citizens have consumed dog meat for thousands of years and believe it has medicinal properties.

In Northern China, dog meat is believed to promote warmth in the body when consumed.

That's why it's especially popular to eat in the winter months.

In Southern China, dog meat is often readily available and openly served by restaurants, where dog farms exist for this purpose.

These dogs are bred and often kept in bad, unsanitary conditions.

There have also been many cases of family dogs being stolen and served as meals in restaurants in China.

Not surprisingly, China is the country where the Yulin Dog Meat Festival takes place.

Approximately 15,000 dogs are slaughtered and eaten annually during this 10-day festival.

While the festival organizers claim that only dogs bred specifically to be eaten are consumed at this festival, many dogs are lost or stolen pets, as evidenced by their collars and dog tags.

Note that this is not a traditional or cultural practice.

Instead, dog meat traders started it as a gimmick to boost their sales.

The dogs that are consumed at the Yulin Dog Meat Festival are often boiled or burned alive, even clubbed, and beaten to death.

They believe that having adrenaline pumping through the tortured, burned, and beaten dog’s body makes the meat taste better.

Many countries and organizations are working tirelessly to ban the Yulin Dog Meat Festival.

3. Democratic Republic of the Congo

Dog meat used to be consumed only by some tribes from the Kansai province in Congo, while other tribes in other regions considered it dirty or taboo.

However, around 2011, most Congolese people were hit hard by the rising prices of cattle meat.

Unfortunately for dogs, attitudes in the country have changed since then.

While those who eat this meat said it doesn't seem to have any harmful effect on health, there was prior testing done in the country that confirmed at least 156 dogs in this country had been infected with the Ebola virus before.

While these dogs showed no signs of illness and seemed to have developed antibodies against the virus, they could still transmit it.

Up to this day, Ebola continues to kill infected individuals in Congo and its nearby countries in its 2022 outbreak in these African countries.

4. Ghana

Many tribes and cultures in this African country eat dog meat, especially in northern Ghana.

For some tribes, dog meat is considered a delicacy.

They eat dog meat as a “courtship stew” supplied for the royal offspring and lineage of a king.

For others, dogs are hunted and consumed as a symbol of friendship and camaraderie, and the dog's head is given to the winning tribe as a trophy.

In 2021, the country saw high demand for dog meat, which is popular among the younger.

Currently, hundreds of dogs are still abducted and slaughtered every market day.

5. India

The people of Nagaland in eastern India consider eating dog meat part of their culture and tradition.

This area considers dog meat to be of high nutritional value and to have medicinal properties, including the ability to provide immunity against different diseases.

Nagas mostly hunt with them, but the carcass is customarily given to relatives for consumption when the dogs die.

They also held their version of the dog meat festival in China, where thousands of dogs are slaughtered to be eaten.

Although it was mainly frowned upon in the mainland, the Humane International Society India estimated that more than 30,000 stolen and lost dogs were still captured and clubbed to death yearly to be eaten.

In 2019, the government of India made a landmark decision to ban and illegalize the dog meat trade.

This is in response to the relentless call to end the brutal trade that started in 2016.

6. Indonesia

Dog meat was regularly consumed in several areas of Indonesia.

In Bali alone, a popular tourist spot, around 60,000 to 70,000 dogs were being killed for consumption yearly.

The illegal transportation of dogs was said to be the main cause of the spread of rabies in the area.

If you had visited this wonderful island sometime in or before 2017, you might have unknowingly eaten dog meat.

In 2017, Animals Australia went undercover to investigate the dog meat trade here.

They discovered that vendors had been selling their ‘chicken satay' to tourists, made with dog meat, among other local cuisines.

Since then, the call for the dog meat trade in Indonesia to end has intensified.

But because of the inaction of the national government, local states took matters into their own hands.

Local laws have been passed to ban the trade explicitly in their jurisdiction.

The following localities currently have a law or ordinance in place:

• Karanganyar Regency, Central Java, as of 2019
• Sukoharjo Regency, Central Java, as of 2021
• Jakarta (capital of Indonesia), as of March 2023

Dog meat vendors in local tourist spots like Bali are also being closed down.

The most recent development this July 2023 is the total banning of dog and cat trade in an infamous North Sulawesi Market, where butchers are known to slaughter dogs in the most inhumane way possible.

On the other hand, some other parts of Indonesia (mostly non-Muslim communities) are still ongoing with this inhumane trade.

7. Morocco

Morocco is an Islamic country. And as we know, Islam considers dogs to be ‘unclean' animals.

Ironically, people in poorer areas of the country have been eating dogs because they can't afford other types of meat.

And they do this under the guise of other meats or in a sausage.

Dog cruelty in the country is still rampant to this day.

In 2023, bloody and brutal videos were caught in Tangier wherein alleged “government assassins” shot, poisoned, and killed hundreds of street dogs in broad daylight.

This was supposed to “clean the streets” in preparation for Morocco's bid to host the FIFA World Cup.

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8. Nigeria

Just like in Cameroon, dog meat is also called 404 in Nigeria.

This African country also ranked third among the countries with the highest dog consumption rate in 2022.

Dog meat is still believed to have medicinal powers, and therefore, quite a few groups of Nigerians, mostly from the southeastern part of the country, consume it.

These ‘delicacies' are often served in drinking joints.

And this despite several reports that revealed how humans are dying of rabies in Nigeria due to the dog meat trade and consumption.

Nigeria's third-place finish as a country with the highest dog consumption isn't surprising; what's surprising, though, is that dog meat consumption is still prevalent in the country despite the petitions to ban the dog meat trade.

In July 2021, about 18,000 people signed a petition on Change.org.

Unlike other countries on this list, like Vietnam and China, Nigeria has a law regarding Animal Protection.

Frankly speaking, though, it doesn't really amount to anything if it's not being enforced properly.

9. North Korea

Korean culture has long eaten dog meat, which is still consumed nowadays, especially in North Korea.

They believe that eating dog meat is beneficial for keeping your stamina, especially during summer.

Unlike other countries, where dog meat is consumed only in specific, mostly small parts of the country, North Korea is different.

They even have lavish restaurants that exclusively serve dog meat.

In 2020, North Korean leader Kim Jong Un reportedly called for all dog owners to surrender their dogs to be given to petting zoos or sold to restaurants.

This move is to appease the masses amid food shortages in the country and not feed into the ‘capitalist decadence' and ‘bourgeois ideology.'

Purchasing dog meat for consumption is so common in North Korea that the government even added it to its list of 100 items with “fixed” (or government-determined) prices.

And if you're wondering if it feeds the poor or the food insecure, not really.

It seems like only the elites and the men in positions can feast on expensive dog meat.

10. Philippines

The first country featured on this list with a complete and total ban on dog selling, buying, and consumption, the 1998 Animal Welfare Act in the Philippines dramatically decreased the dog meat trade in the country.

This law was further strengthened when amended in 2011 with heavier penalties.

However, that's not to say it's not happening anymore.

The illegal dog meat trade is still rampant, especially in rural Philippines, where access to more acceptable protein sources is scarce and, therefore, expensive.

Like in other countries, dog meat is believed to be an aphrodisiac in the Philippines and is usually paired with liquor.

The local and national governments do not tolerate it as it's considered ‘hot meat,' meaning it did not pass any inspection and is possibly disease-carrying meat.

Despite these efforts, illegal traders still follow where the money is, which, sadly, is in slaughtering dogs for food.

11. Polynesia (Kingdom of Tonga)

Eating dog meat was historically commonplace in Tahiti, Hawaii, and the Polynesian islands.

But nowadays, this practice seems to have ceased in most Polynesian territories, with the exception of the Kingdom of Tonga.

This country is a relatively small Polynesian island, about 4 times the size of Washington, D.C.

For the same reason as other countries for eating dogs, Tongans used to eat this meat for survival.

The poor and food-insecure families who don't have access to more expensive meats mostly rely on dogs to appease their hunger.

But nowadays, it's not the case.

More Tongans now have access to different meat and food sources.

So, in the Kingdom of Tonga, eating dogs nowadays, in truth, is more of a craving than a need.

And they aren't just limited to their country.

Tongans who have settled in other parts of the world, like Australia, New Zealand, or the United States, also practice this.

12. South Korea

People are now falling in love with South Korean music, entertainment, and food.

So, how would you feel when you found out that South Korea still has cases of dog consumption even to this day?

To clarify, though, this practice is already dwindling as more South Koreans become pet owners.

There has been growing support for banning dog consumption.

However, as of 2022, there are still about 1,150 commercial dog farms operating in the country, raising over half a million dogs for consumption.

But in comparison, that number has declined by 35% in the last 5 years.

In 2018, the Humane Society International reported that South Korea is the number one country where dogs are regularly and vigorously farmed for human consumption.

The HSI has helped close 18 dog meat farms in South Korea.

Read this document about the state of the dog meat trade in South Korea and the efforts to eliminate it from HeinOnline.org.

UPDATE: In 2024, Seoul's National Assembly voted to ban the dog meat industry with a three-year phase-out until 2027. This makes breeding, slaughtering, and selling dogs and dog meat illegal, with penalties ranging from three years imprisonment to a fine of up to 30 million Korean won.

Read the full details here.

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13. Switzerland

It is illegal to slaughter dogs to sell their meat commercially in Switzerland.

However, it's legal to keep and slaughter them if, one, it's done humanely, and two, it's for personal consumption.

In fact, some families in rural/poor areas keep dogs to eat them later as a less expensive source of meat.

Yes, this country still has poor and rural areas, despite being one of the world's most expensive places to travel to.

In Switzerland, dog meats are usually turned into traditional sausages or jerky.

Variations of the cured meat dish, Mostbröckli, traditionally made with beef, are also sometimes made with dog meat.

One of the favorite types of dog meat among Swiss citizens comes from a dog closely related to the Rottweiler.

They also practice the same thing with cat meat.

14. Timor-Leste

Eating dog meat is very popular in this country, and it is considered a delicacy.

And just like some of the developing countries in this list, they started eating dog meat because of poverty and food scarcity.

The Indonesians introduced this alternative to the more expensive meats to Timor Leste just a couple of years after the invasion.

You can't blame the people when they were left with no option but to eat anything they could get their hands on.

People still eat dog meat in Timor-Leste, despite wider access to other meat protein sources.

You can even buy local dishes made from dogs in canteens and hole-in-the-wall restaurants, where they label it “RW.”

RW stands for rintek wuuk, which means “fine hair,” and is about a dog's fur or coat.

In June 2023, Timor-Leste was preparing for a rabies outbreak following an increase in cases in Indonesia's South Central Timor.

However, the Vocal Point of International Health Regulations in Timor Leste stated that “eating processed/cooked dog food meat” won't bring the rabies virus because the virus and bacteria supposedly ” die when cooked.”

Good luck with that, I guess.

15. Thailand

Thailand also has an existing law that illegalizes the dog meat trade.

Sadly, though, communities in the country still completely ignore this ban.

This is despite the upturned noses of other pet-loving Thai people from the middle to the upper classes.

Not only do some (not all) locals consume dog meat, but they also export it illegally, mostly to Laos, Vietnam, and China.

The practice of dog meat consumption is said to have started among Vietnamese ethnicities that resided in northeastern Thailand some decades ago.

However, it became a huge commercial trade only about 20 to 30 years ago, and the government and animal welfare groups have been tracking it ever since.

Because of the stealing and horrific maltreatment of dogs in Thailand, several advocacy groups have been formed to fight against this issue, as well as against the health epidemics related to the consumption of dog meat in Thailand.

The Soi Dog Foundation (Soi means alley in Thai) and the Watch Dog Thailand Foundation are the most popular ones.

Both are still active in upholding animal rights in the country.

16. Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan has always been notorious for the level of animal cruelty that happens in the country, despite the now tougher penalties.

There are still dog and cat abuse incidents happening in the neighborhood, with some being recorded and streamed on social media sites.

Smugglers have also reportedly disguised themselves as animal welfare advocates so they can freely get unsuspecting dogs from owners or on the streets for a “better shelter,” only to find out later that they're living in far worse conditions and getting prepped for butchering or selling.

Although dog meat consumption is less common in this country than in others, people do choose to consume dogs due to the belief that they have medicinal value.

You can read more about this topic in the academic article Uzbekistan: Meat is Medicine.

Activists and enthusiasts are still working hand in hand to lobby for better conditions for these stray animals.

They successfully built two large and legitimate animal shelters with veterinary services and programs.

But sadly, as they say, the humane treatment of animals in Uzbekistan seems still far from reality.

17. Vietnam

Approximately 5 million dogs are slaughtered for consumption in this country annually, making it the second largest consumer of dog meat, right behind China.

A large majority of the dogs that are eaten in Vietnam are stolen pets that are treated poorly and brutally killed by those who capture them.

And yes, until now, no national laws have been established in the country to impede the dog meat trade.

However, one city in Vietnam took the initiative to ban the sale and consumption of both dog and cat meat in 2021—Hoi An City.

Initiatives are also underway to satisfy Vietnamese people's craving for dog meat with an alternative: Giả Cầy, which translates to “Fake Dog meat.”

It's made of pork feet cooked in different herbs and spices, which they often use (and associate) with dog meat.

In the Vietnamese culture, eating dog meat is believed to bring good luck to those who consume it, increase a man’s libido, and is served best when partnered with liquor.

There is still a huge black market in Vietnam for the trade of dog meat that can be bought and sold for a premium price, making stealing, brutally murdering, and selling a dog’s meat a profitable and popular business in this country, despite the outbreak of rabies (PDF) related to the dog meat trade.

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FAQs Related to Dog Meat

How to identify dog meat?

Identifying dog meat can be challenging, as it resembles other red meats like beef or goat.

Some say it tastes like beef, but the bones are sharper, and the fat has a deeper golden-yellow color.

The meat can also turn blackish-red when exposed to the air for too long.

If you're unsure about the meat you bought, don't hesitate to ask about its source and preparation. It's also best to purchase meat from reputable sellers.

Why is dog meat taboo?

In many cultures, particularly in Western societies, dogs are regarded as companions and family members, leading to a strong emotional bond that makes consuming dog meat distressing.

Religious beliefs also play a role; for instance, Islam considers dogs unclean, and Hinduism emphasizes non-violence towards animals, both contributing to the taboo.

Additionally, historical factors, such as dogs being more valuable alive for work or companionship, have reinforced these cultural taboos.

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Why is dog meat not meant for human consumption?

Beyond moral reasons, dogs are not raised, transported, and slaughtered under food safety standards designed to protect human health. They're mostly processed in the most inhumane ways possible!

That means consuming their meat carries a higher risk of exposure to harmful pathogens like E. coli, Salmonella, and even rabies or parasites.

There is also a concern about the spread of zoonotic diseases (those transmissible from animals to humans) through the dog meat trade, particularly in parts of Asia and Africa where it still occurs.

This makes dog meat a significant public health risk, and one that lacks the safety oversight of meats like chicken, beef, or pork.

What Countries Eat Dogs: Before You Go…

Ultimately, it all boils down to our cultural and situational differences.

It's deeply saddening for us dog parents that this practice still occurs in other parts of the globe.

As a dog parent, I could not and will not eat dog meat in any form, in any way.

And what I find more unacceptable than the consumption is how these dogs were being slaughtered, cruelly and very inhumanely.

What are your thoughts on this?

Do you think it's people's right to eat whatever they want?

Or do you think their government should take a more active approach to ban the dog meat trade?

Let us know in the comments section!

Interested in reading more articles with similar topics? Check out our recommended reads below!

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