While it might not be explicitly illegal in Canada, don’t expect dog meat to show up at your local Costco anytime soon.

An annual dog meat festival in Yulin, China has sparked outrage amongst many animal-rights activists, who say thousands of dogs are kidnapped, beaten and eaten each year in the name of tradition.

In Canada, dog meat is not exactly forbidden.

In 2003, four dog carcasses were found in the freezer of a Chinese restaurant in Alberta. While certainly distasteful, the local health inspector said there was no law against it.

"To be available to serve in a restaurant and for the public, the meat has to be inspected," Capital Health Authority's Nelson Fok told the CBC.

The slaughter of food animals in Canada is a provincially licensed activity, which means meat plant operators must obtain a license.

“For a meat plant operator to obtain a licence for dog meat, it must be proven that the slaughter of dogs fits within the definition of food animals,” said Susin Micallef, a spokesperson Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

Food animals are defined as a “mammal or bird that is raised in captivity and whose meat or meat by-products are intended for human consumption, but does not include hunted game animal.”

So in order for a meat processor to obtain a license to slaughter dogs for food, it would have to prove that the dogs were raised explicitly for food and not to keep as pets.

Micallef said there are no provincially licensed plants approved to slaughter dogs.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency sets the standards for meat inspection across the country, and regulates meat importation. According to the Automated Import Reference System which itemizes what can be imported into the country, there is no category for dog meat.

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