An International Animal Rights Activist, Miss Natasha Choolun, has petitioned the Government of Ghana to ban the trade in cat and dog meat for human consumption.
“Dogs and cats are not food, but loyal companion animals that should be treated with kindness and respect, not brutalized and eaten,” she said in a petition.
The petition noted that the trade-in of dogs and cats is widespread across African countries, making them unattractive to tourists who are aware of the “cruel” industries and unwilling to invest in those countries.
Reacting to this, Builsa South MP on the ticket of NDC, Dr. Clemet Apaak has warned animal rights groups in the country to stay away from dog meat.
He said the petition by international animal rights activist Natasha Choolun to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to ban dog meat is uncalled for. Dr. Apaak said dog meat is part of Ghanaian culture and many ethnic groups enjoy it.
In an interview with Class News, the Builsa South MP said: “The consumption of any form of meat is a requirement to fulfill the protein needs of any organism, including humans.”
“In our case, we have various traditions, cultures and ethnicities and by thinking of those traditions and cultures, there are certain species of animals that were consumed”.
“So, for example, I am a Builsa; the consumption of dog meat is part of my culture, it’s part of my upbringing”.
“There are many groups like the Akyems, the Frafras, Dagaabas and, in fact, the Chinese, as well as the Koreans and even some Japanese, also consume dog meat”.
“In Ghana, we know of other groups that also consume cat meat and, so, for anyone to say that there should be a ban on the consumption of something that is part of our culture and our tradition, clearly, I cannot see how that argument can be sustained on the basis of animal cruelty”.
“Why, are chickens not animals? Are goats not animals? Don’t Americans keep chickens and goats as pets? Are cows not considered sacred in India? So, on what basis is anyone seeking to get the government to ban forms of meat”.