Majoring in biology, I believe that it is necessary to take
a look at the history of mankind and the role dogs have played in it to
understand why dog meat has become a taboo for some societies. According to Dr.
Levin, a professor who teaches evolution and ecology at The University of
Texas, dogs were domesticated nearly 40,000 years ago making them the first species
to be to be tamed by humans. Popular theories either suggest that grey
wolves chose to stick near human campsites or that humans adopted wolf puppies.
Either way, the relationship was beneficial for both species. While dogs gained
shelter and a reliable food source, humans gained a more efficient means of
hunting in addition to companionship. Why
is this important to note when speculating why dog meat is a taboo in some
parts of the world? Since this companionship was going to last tens of
thousands of years, dogs were bound to become “man’s best friend”. However,
dogs in East Asia were not domesticated as early as dogs in North America or North Africa so this could possibly be a reason why Americans have become
more attached to canines (Dunn).
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Early human art depicting hunting side by side with dogs.
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