Butchered dogs are displayed at a vendor's stall at a dog meat market ahead of a local dog meat festival in Yulin, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, June 21. Photo: CFP

No one knows how long ago it was when man first became friends with dogs.

Different studies point to a single domestication dating back about 16,000 years ago that implies  the earliest dogs arose along with hunter-gatherers. Despite the conflicting, complex and at times, blurred information about the origin of these pets, one thing is clear; dogs are one of mankind's oldest and best friends.

They are remarkable animals as they are amazingly sensitive to the cultural attributes of the people they exist with. Not only are dogs a product of culture, but they also participate in the cultures of human beings.

In fact, dogs were the first domestic animals to take up residence with people and the only animals found in all human societies around the world. Due to their ubiquity across cultural boundaries, dogs have been so commonplace that their history seems to warrant little consideration.

The scenario has not changed much in Africa. Today, dogs are almost synonymous with human beings despite their subordinate status compared to the Western world where dogs share basic amenities like housing with their owners.

Africans use dogs for hunting, providing security and in search and rescue missions. "I feel safe even when not at home provided my dogs are there. They provide the best security such that no strangers can dare trespass and steal from my homestead," said Jackson Wanjala, a farmer in Kitale, a rural township in western Kenya.

However, it is startling for Africans to hear that dog meat is considered a delicacy in China and many Africans mistakenly believe that every Chinese eats dog meat.

"While it may appear disgusting to us Africans that dog meat can be consumed, I think it's important that we respect other people's culture ... certainly there are also foods that Africans eat that are seen as not edible in China," said Pamela Jepkemei, a resident in Nairobi, capital of Kenya.

Local beliefs



Africans believe that the Chinese dog-eating tradition began with dog butchers who specialized in preparing the special delicacy. They cite the works of Han Dynasty (206BC-AD220) founder Liu Bang and Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) painter Zheng Banqiao as the proof that the Chinese have always enjoyed dog meat.

This belief has led some to accuse Chinese workers in Nairobi helping construct the Thika Superhighway, one of the most modern roads in Africa, of "stealing" dogs from neighboring communities to eat.

"It's wrong to say that the Chinese were stealing dogs because they actually bought them from the local people for as little as 700 Kenyan shillings ($8)," said a Kenyan engineer, who sold two of his dogs to his Chinese colleagues during the road construction.

"I happened to have tasted the delicacy. I initially thought it was normal meat until my host told the truth to me; that it was canine meat. I found it delicious, and nothing harmful has happened to me so far. Perhaps the same tradition could be adopted in Kenya but the challenge is that canines are seen as people's close friends, and therefore, cannot be eaten," he added.

Of course not all the Chinese working on the superhighway were eating dog meat. Loise Njuguna who formed part of the team working on the road says she interacted with many Chinese workers who said they had never eaten dog meat.

"The same way it feels uncomfortable to the Africans is the same way those Chinese workers felt. The time I spent with them made me know more about their rich, yet somehow complex history and culture," said Njuguna, 42, an mechanical engineer in Nairobi.

Kenya is not the only place where this misconception is dominant. In the past, there have been uproars in Harare, Zimbabwe, where Chinese investors were warned, and even threatened, against eating dog meat by authorities and animal rights activists. The discussion has also been heard widely in Ghana, Nigeria, Angola, South Africa, Zambia and other African countries where Chinese are present.

Clearing misconceptions



Huang Hongxiang, the founder and chief executive officer of China House, a Nairobi-based consultancy that seeks to bridge the cultural gap between Chinese and Africans, says the perception that all Chinese eating dog meat is not real. According to him this perception is part of Western countries' fierce campaign against China's close ties with Africa.

"When you go to a butcher to buy meat, you hear murmurs and people talking in low tones: 'He thinks we sell dog meat'. Other people in Africa ask you outright: 'How sweet is dog meat?' It's stressing, and painful," said Huang, who has never eaten dog meat before.

According to Hu Yifu, a PhD student studying traditional Chinese literature at East China Normal University, the misconception that all Chinese eat dog meat has been propagated by a film, known as Shaolin Temple as well as a popular historical television show about a monk. 

"Ignorance is our biggest impediment today. The cultural misunderstanding is massive. Africans do not know the Chinese and the Chinese do not know Africans well, precipitating conflicts between the two. That is why we recently launched China House, to ensure China and Africa engage in a dialogue that will boost their relationship," Huang said.

So far, China House has managed to bring Chinese investors together with their counterparts in different countries in Africa such as Kenya, Angola, Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Nigeria as well as Ghana. There are indications that more countries are looking to participate in the program, which Huang says is having huge impact on China-Africa cooperation.

Actually, dog meat is not only eaten in China. In Cameroon's Mandara Mountain, the Democratic Republic of Congo and some prominent cultures of Ghana, dog meat is considered a delicacy. Liberians, too, lump the term dog meat and bushmeat - meat from non-domesticated animals - together.

There are claims that 75 percent of Liberians consume dogs. Beyond Africa, dog meat consumption is prevalent in some parts of North and South Korea and Vietnam.

Statistics show that in 2014, more than 25 million dogs were eaten worldwide by humans. Doctors say there are no health risks in consuming canine meat, which is actually very rich in protein.

The author is a Nairobi-based freelance writer. mkapchanga@gmail.com