I) A Brief History of the Dog Meat Trade II) The religious history of eating dog meat The ritual of eating dog meat started as a religious practice in the Philippines whereby dogs were sacrificed and their meat eaten when a family was faced with bad luck, or when a death was witnessed. The Filipinos believe that the spirit of the sacrificed dog protects and guards the spirits of the living family. The major difference between what occurred as an infrequent religious practice long ago and what is occurring today is how the dogs are treated.

More than 20 years ago, before dog meat became commercialized, dogs were treated with respect and killed in a humane manner. Today they are tortured, made to suffer, and are brutally killed. Torture methods include tying their muzzles with rope so that they do not make any noise, stuffing them into the backs of trucks where there is little room to breathe, leaving them in vehicles for days without any food or water in the stifling heat, and slaughtering them. Another difference is that long ago dog meat was only eaten on certain tragic occasions. Today it is not hard to find dog meat in restaurants or public markets in and around the region of Baguio City.

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