Is this an example of Congress finally taking on an important issue to America?

It is racist. Certain cultures eat dog meat.

How would we feel if Israel and Saudi Arabia joined together to campaign against eating bacon? Bacon is not kosher or halal.

When I worked in DC, the neighborhood I lived in had a high Vietnamese population. Dogs were disappearing out of fenced in yards & rumor had it that the Vietnamese were having a feast for dinner that same night. Some would go to the local animal shelter to adopt a large dog only to return a few weeks later to adopt another. Some were eventually banned from being able to adopt another dog, Signs were posted around the neighborhood suggesting that IF you wanted to keep your dog that you keep them inside your home. Those signs indicated they were posted by the police. Now, IF they wanted to eat dog in Vietnam, our laws don’t extend there so it wouldn’t be illegal; however, when in the US, they have many other options & it is illegal. Now, IF I traveled to Israel or Saudi Arabia, I would NOT expect to be served bacon for breakfast, opting to eat whatever the local cuisine had to offer. Since I love my bacon, I wouldn’t willingly move to either of those countries; & I surely wouldn’t expect to find bacon at the local market…nor would I buy a pig to keep on my property!!! Since our laws don’t extend to foreign countries, I see this law as only affecting those who CHOOSE to move to the US!!!

I agree that we have larger problems in this country than this appears to be covering & I agree that they should have better use of their time.. At the same time, IF my dog disappeared & one of my neighbors were having a party the same night, I’d want a law covering the prosecution of the offending party!!!

While it’s disturbing, there are much more pressing matters affecting human beings we could focus on, leave that to the states to decide. I agree with @LadyMarissa.

Here’s what people worth at least $80 million dollars worry about. Vern Buchanan took time from robbing the country and buying yachts to co-sponsor this legislation.

Probably the only bipartisan agreement they could muster. Of course it will still face a court challenge by those who eat dogs and cats as part of their religious observances.

The legislation probably has its roots in problem a legislator has with a particular ethnic population. It certainly reeks of racial undertones.

From a civil liberties point of view, I don’t like the government telling me what foods I can and cannot eat.

If they can tell me “no dogs” then they can also say “no beef” or “no salami”.

And if they can do that, they can also say “you must eat two servings of spinach each week”.

It’s an important issue but there are other ones a hundred times more critical that the US Congress needs to address.

https://youtu.be/t_u0jxi_v-w?t=15
But hey, at least dogs and cats are safer now.

I just don’t see what is wrong with eating dog or cat? Is there some public health risk I’m unaware of? It doesn’t sound appetizing to me, but it’s not my place to interject my dietary preferences onto others. As long as the slaughtering is being conducted humanely, I really don’t have a problem with it.

An excellent example of prioritizing… SMH…...

Um, @gorillapaws you might not want to view @ragingloli ‘s video link then.

Forget about cats and dogs.. here’s how pigs are killed in USDA approved slaughter house video

@rojo I’m not following your logic. If the problem is that animals are being slaughtered inhumanely, then that problem should be addressed and it has nothing to do with the specie of animal being killed.

@gorillapaws Well like someone said above, going to the humane society for dinner as opposed to adopting a family member, is not okay. It’s certainly not to the animals benefit or welfare, which is the priority for many of us.

I suppose if they wanted to put dog meat in an Asian grocery by the jasmine rice, that may be somewhat different, but I can see the picket lines forming already….!

@KNOWITALL I agree that adopting an animal under false pretense only to murder it is wrong. THAT should be the thing that’s illegal. Likewise, inhumane slaughtering practices ought to be banned. Abducting/murdering people’s pets is already illegal. IMO the problem has nothing to do with the species of meat and it’s being conflated with other issues.

If killing dogs humanely for food is wrong, then it’s hard to make the case that it’s an acceptable practice for pigs (which are even smarter than dogs). Dogs/cats just seems like an arbitrary distinction (and this is coming from a dog lover and someone who does eat pork but has no desire to eat a dog).

@gorillapaws I agree. I mean I have lots of Vietnamese friends and they’d probably laugh hysterically if they got me to eat dog. As if dried squid isn’t bad enough…lol

I think ‘humanely’ is the key factor. Not all cultures have the sensibilities many Americans do about that kind of thing.

We should, morally, legislate about the treatment of animals. But, animals are killed, humanly, for consumption. I think the life and well being of the animal, while alive, should be deemed important, I think the demise of the animal needs to be treated with respect and compassion.
Temple Grandin has quite a bit to say about it.

Just because you can no longer eat cats and dogs doesn’t mean you can’t eat one or the other. It only means you can’t eat BOTH cats AND dogs. together, as in a stew. Not kosher to mix cat and dog meat in one meal.

Stealing someone’s dog from their backyard is already a crime, I imagine.

And the dog shelter has every right and reason to demand proof of a hospitable home.

What’s the rational to ban eating cats and dogs when we’re ‘allowed’ to eat chickens and bison and pythons and eels and rabbits?

Yes. They also passed that pizza was a health food and horse was legal to eat a couple of years ago.

No doubt the only reason they did it was to reverse an Obama era law that legalized dog and cat eating.
Also they think it will discourage immigrants from “sh*thole countries” settling here.