Eating Spot and Fluffy

Allentown columnist Paul Carpenter this morning wrote about a rider to SB1750, a bill to ban pigeon shoots.  The rider would ban the eating of dogs and cats.  I just sent Mr. Carpenter an email, which I will now share with you.

Dear Mr. Carpenter, 

I lived in San Jose, California, from 1973 to 1985.  In those years we received a huge influx of Vietnamese refugees.  There was the usual prejudice against new immigrants; one of the charges was that the Vietnamese were catching dogs and cats and eating them.  In response to this prejudice, the California legislature actually passed a law making it illegal to eat dogs and cats.  

     You address a deeper issue.  If people want to eat dogs and cats—or horses and cows—why shouldn’t they?  I would support laws that say that we can’t eat endangered species, but dogs and cats—or horses and cows—are certainly not endangered.  I personally wouldn’t eat our own chickens (we have 15), but that doesn’t mean I don’t like the extra crispy bucket at Kentucky Fried Chicken.  I don’t know those particular chickens.