It Is Currently Legal to Eat Cats and Dogs in PA

Last summer, we published a list of 12 very weird Pennsylvania laws. Many in Harrisburg think it’s weird that we don’t have a law protecting dogs and cats from human consumption, which is currently legal as long as the animal is humanely slaughtered: The state senate is considering legislation that would ban the practice, following reports of college kids cooking dogs. (The House has already passed the bill.)

The legislation does not cover horses, another animal Americans generally hate eating. Which brings me to my point: Maybe now is the time to stir up a statewide conversation about why only cute animals like dogs and cats get exempt from being eaten. Centuries from now, a more enlightened human race will look back at its ancestors and wonder why they ate animals at all when it was perfectly easy to get protein and other essential nutrients from other sources. You listening, Harrisburg? We could really start something here. (Written by a card-carrying omnivore.)