Do you consider eating dog meat an inhuman act?

There was an article on the radio news this morning that brought me close to tears. Apparently a sixty-six year old woman was walking her golden Labrador Retriever along the shore of Lake Ontario when she slipped on a rock and fell into the lake.

The announcer didn't say when happened, whether she suffered a heart attack, or hit her head on a rock, but in any case, she died. When someone finally noticed, the dog was towing his deceased mistress toward the shore.

I'm a dog owner of the same sex and age group, so maybe that influenced my reaction.I reached over and gave my chocolate lab an extra pat. He looked at me questioningly with his deep, dark chocolate-brown eyes. I knew exactly what he was thinking, "How long until lunch?"

I decided to write to distract my thoughts from the grim news item. What was one of the first suggested titles to catch my attention? "Do you consider eating dog meat an inhuman act?"

Of course it's an inhuman act. I'm not saying it should never happen. Perhaps if you were literally starving and had to make a choice between your child and your pet, then it would be permissible, but the conditions would have to extremely critical.

Dogs are not the dumb animals some people consider them to be. Canine researcher, Stanley Coren, a University of British Columbia psychologist found:

* A dog's mental abilities are close to those of a child aged 2.5 years.

* Dogs can learn 165 words, signs and signals.

* Those animals in the top 20% of intelligence can learn 250 words.

* Dogs are masters at reading body language. When you come home after breaking up with your significant other, your dog will immediately start acting very solicitously. Even though you haven't said a word, he will realize you are upset and try his best to comfort you.

A dog really is a human's best friend. It gives unconditional love, it never holds a grudge, and it will kiss the hand that has just mistreated it. Could anyone thoughtlessly kill and eat such a creature? I doubt that a rational human being living in a civilized society could ever do so, once he got to know the animal.

The newscaster on the radio said the dog who brought the woman's body to shore was given to family members who would give it a good home. It is indeed a heroic animal.

There are many heroic working dogs. Consider guide dogs who safeguard the blind and deaf against threats and dangers, police dogs who sniff out drugs and help their officers subdue criminals, St. Bernards who rescue skiers and hikers trapped in blizzards, herding dogs who protect cattle and sheep and keep them from wandering away.

These are not "dumb animals". They show more love, bravery, loyalty, and common sense than some humans I know. Eat one for lunch? Not likely!