Country rankings

Which Countries Eat Dogs?

Which Countries Eat Dogs?: compare 40 countries on 4 metrics.

Culture40 countries · 4 metricsUpdated Nov 30, 2024Original page
9 sources

Dog Meat Consumption Status

5 values across 35 entries

Dog Meat Purchase and Import

4 values across 5 entries

Data

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40 countries
ArgentinaIllegal———
AustraliaLegal with stipulationsIllegal—Slaughter and sale illegal in South Australia since 1953
Austria—Slaughter Illegal——
BrazilLegalSlaughter and sale are Illegal with harsher laws in specific states——
CambodiaLegal and common——2–3 million dogs slaughtered annually for meat; campaign launched to end consumption (2020); over half of respondents ate dog meat in 2019.
CameroonLegal and common——Vame people eat dogs for religious rituals.
CanadaLegal with stipulationsSlaughter and sale legal—Technically legal, but restaurants must purchase the meat from a licensed dog meat processing plant—and none exist.
Central African RepublicLegal———
ChileLegalCommercial sale Illegal——
ChinaLegal and commonSlaughter legal—Consumption legal, except Shenzhen and Zhuhai since 2020., Popularity is decreasing overall.
ColombiaIllegal———
DR CongoLegal and common——Dog meat consumption common despite taboo, driven by high meat prices. (2011)
FranceLegalSlaughter and sale Illegal——
GermanyLegalProduction and sale Illegal since 1986Import Illegal—
GhanaLegal——Consumption varies by cultute, some of which consider dog meat a delicacy., Frafra and Dagaaba tribes bond over dog meat; yearly games held in September.
Hong KongLegal with stipulationsIllegalImport requires a permitConsumption technically legal, but all slaughter and sale is unlawful since 1950.
IndiaLegalSale legal——
IndonesiaLegal but uncommonThe sale of dog meat has been banned in 21 cities and regencies in Indonesia—Practiced by minority
JapanLegal but uncommon——Minimal dog meat consumption, mainly catering to foreign customers; historical records show past consumption.
KazakhstanLegal——Pending ban announced in October 2021
LiberiaLegal———
MacauIllegalCommercial sale Illegal——
MalaysiaLegal———
Mali—Slaughter Illegal since 2012——
MexicoIllegal———
NigeriaLegal and common——Dog meat consumed in some states for its believed medicinal powers; suggested as Ebola alternative in 2014 due to bushmeat fears.
North KoreaLegal and common——Tradition of consuming dog meat dates back to ancient times; government sets fixed price for dog meat.
PhilippinesIllegal——Banned since 1998, with exceptions for indigenous rituals; still consumed in some regions, particularly in Cordillera highlands; efforts to combat Illegal trade ongoing.
RussiaLegal———
Rwanda—Sale legalPurchase legal—
Singapore—Sale of dog meat is banned.——
South KoreaIllegal——Historically significant but declining; estimates vary but around 1 million consumed annually; national ban on slaughter, sale of meat, and consumption to start in 2027.
SwitzerlandLegal but uncommonCommercial slaughter Illegal.Import IllegalPracticed by minority
TaiwanIllegal——Consumption banned since 2001, with increased fines in 2007; further strengthened in 2017 with jail time for offenders; considered first East Asian country to ban dog and cat meat consumption.
Thailand—Trade Illegal since 2014—Small culture of dog meat consumption exists; smuggling to Vietnam reported; animal welfare laws enacted.
Timor-LesteLegal and common——Dog meat considered a delicacy.
United KingdomLegal but uncommonSale Illegal—Sale forbidden, private slaughter and Consumption Legal if humane
United StatesLegal with stipulationsTransportation, delivery, possession, and slaughter for purpose of consumption illegal since 2018. Exemptions exist for Native American religious ceremoniesAny purchase (including import) or possession Illegal since 2018A much-lauded law in 2018 made it illegal to transport, possess, buy, sell, donate, or slaughter a dog or cat for the purpose of human consumption. The law stopped short of banning consumption of the meat, but left no legal means to attain it.
UzbekistanLegal and common——Dog meat sometimes used for medicinal purposes.
VietnamLegal and common——Significant consumption, with around five million dogs slaughtered annually; criticized for pet theft and brutal killing methods; popular particularly in urban areas of the north.

Quick answers

Where does this which countries eat dogs? data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Dog meat - Wiki; In Central African Republic, people are stealing dogs then cooking them - The Observers; Infamous Animal Market in Indonesia Has Stopped Selling Dog and Cat Meat - Four Paws; Indonesia’s cruel and dangerous dog meat trade - HSI.

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