More than 1,500 dogs found stuffed in cages in China

I disagree with you. In a country where it is not practical to raise cattle every where, it is economical to raise dogs for food. These were not pets. The chineese do have dogs trained as pets and dogs raised for food. It is no different than having chickens as pets or raising them for food.

So, it's practical to raise carnivores (who compete with humans for food) as food; I disagree. Beyond the purely emotional level, well, forget it. It's simply wrong to eat dogs.

It is different, as chickens have no brains, to speak of, and show little or no loyalty or any other emotion whatsoever (a childhood friend found that out). Dogs feel the same things we do. They are not a food animal in any civilized place. Period.

Let me clarifymy last statement. What I was referring to was the perception of the Chinese / eastern culture. Dog meat is considered a delicacy in some countries. The Thia Navy "rescued" some 750 dogs in another article posted on the vine: http://eastlaw2.newsvine.com/_news/2012/01/16/10167782-some-750-dogs-destined-for-dinner-table-rescued-video. What's ironic is the animals were sold to another country as food.

Our (western?) perception is that dogs are Noble creatures worthy of respect. Most of us were raised that way. Yet there are hundred of dogs in this country that are used for fighting, are beaten and abused every day and I'm sure some are eaten. I guess it comes down to the individuals perception of what a dog is. Pet? Food? Companion? I respect your opinion on dogs and respect dogs as well, but I don't agree with calling an entire culture barbaric because our ideology is different.

I don't approve of dog-fighting, either, and have given money to dog rescue groups, and did a little volunteer work, as well.

Let me rephrase my statement. I think that those who eat dogs are barbaric, regardless of all other considerations. I don't believe that an entire culture is barbaric. For instance, I've had several Vietnamese, Chinese, and Filipino friends over the years, despite the fact that certain elements in their cultures act in a barbaric fashion by eating dogs.

My friend, Xuan, told me that the first time he looked into a dog's eyes, and saw, well, a soul, he gave up dog meat, and began actively lobbying against the practice. In the end, his entire community began keeping dogs solely as pets and guard animals. As Xuan said, "We gave up barbarism, and became civilized."

Thanks for sharing that. I hope more people have an Epiphany such as Xuan.