Dog meat now a delicacy

Dog meat, which is frowned upon in most parts of the country, is fast becoming a delicacy for the youth across the country.

In the past, the mere mention of 'dog meat' in southern Ghana made many people spit and turn away. However, the situation is changing as the youth in the Greater Accra, Volta, Brong Ahafo and other regions have turned to dog meat.

It must be said that in parts of the three northern regions, the trade in dogs not for security purposes but for the meat of the animal has gained notoriety.

The apparent mad rush for dog meat in these areas has resulted in a situation where dogs are now more expensive than goats and sheep of the same size in the local markets.

In some suburbs of the Greater Accra Region, such as Bukom, Korle Gonno, Chorkor and Nungua, the sale of dog meat is booming.

It is common to see the youth in their numbers at these spots enjoying dog meat amidst drinking.

The love for dog meat is also fast rising in Sunyani, the Brong Ahafo Regional capital, where many butchers have sprung up selling only dog meat.

Patrons buy dog meat from these places just like walking to the market to buy cow or goat meat.

The dog meat sellers are cashing in on the business.

Kwaku Boyarere, a dog meat seller at the Nana Bosoma Market, popularly called Wednesday Market in Sunyani, in an interview with Weekend Finder, explained that dog meat is cheaper and also the best meat ever.

According to him, one pound of dog meat costs about Ghc2 compared to Ghc8 for one pound of cow meat.

He believes that more people are taking to dog meat these days because they are easy to come by, and also people are discarding their revulsion for the meat because they have realised that eating it does not cause any harm.

He buys one dog between Ghc20 and Ghc30 depending on the size, explaining that Wednesdays were his busy days because it is a market day in Sunyani.

According to him, most of his customers come to buy dog meat on Wednesdays.

He noted that he averagely kills about 10 dogs each market day and makes a profit of between Ghc100 to Ghc150.

Mr Boyarere revealed that he has been in the dog meat business for some time, saying it is profitable.

A lover of dog meat, Kofi Mosi, told Weekend Finder that dog meat is good and has spiritual powers.

“Dog meat is very good and very delicious. It has less fat and good for the body and human consumption, so try it. It also has spiritual powers, so I love to eat it because it always protects me from witches and wizards,” Mosi noted.

He said the consumption of dog meat is part of their cuisine. Others consider consumption of dog to be inappropriate and offensive on both social and religious grounds, especially with cultural globalisation, greater international criticism, as well as the world society for the protection of animals.

To these people, the dog has always been man's closest pet and companion and so they cannot conceive the idea of killing it, let alone eating its meat. Others too are put off by the fact that they see the dog in all kinds of compromising situations and so they find it difficult to consume its meat.