So when you said tasty dog you were just kidding?

I guess the preference for eating/not eating dog, or any other animal (horse, guinea pig etc), is borne of a cultural and historical perception.  I would not personally choose to eat dog (or horse) but can appreciate that it is no different to eating any other animal particularly.  I think that it is only our Western VIEW that the dog is this intelligent, perceptive, loyal friend and is merely a result of a compounding belief system.  Were we to view and treat a cow, for instance, in the same way would it develop/would we begin to recognise similar traits?

I sympathise with your views and sentiments exactly JustAnotherExplorer.  Likewise, it would be my preference to live on a cooked lacto-ovo-vegetarian diet - home grown fruit/veg, eggs from my own chickens, home-made cheese, milk, yoghurt, butter from my own goats/sheep, honey/pollen from my own bee hives.  To me, this would be a truly beautiful existence.  Although I agree with your 'circle of life' comments Keith, I would PREFER it if it was not necessary to take the life of another animal.  I would PREFER the glorious variety in taste, colour, texture and smell of the aforementioned foods.  Perhaps this stems from a life of eating these foods and living in a world where they're abundant and accepted as 'normal'?  Perhaps if I had been born into a world where I were raised the RAF way these feelings would not exist.  I honestly don't know.

But, I accept without harbouring regret or negativity that it's important for humans to consume animal flesh for a healthy existence within this physical realm.

Michael

the inuits killed arctic fox I believe. probably others too.