Speak of the Dog!

Report: 68 Namibia Villagers Sickened After Eating Dead Dog

Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Associated Press

WINDHOEK, Namibia - Sixty-eight villagers in northern Namibia were hospitalized last week after eating a dog that had been killed by disease, the local daily The Namibian reported Wednesday.

The paper said the dog's owner had killed it after it contracted an unknown skin disease and ordered it to be burned. Instead, the inhabitants of Oikokola village insisted on eating the meat, which was also shared with people from the nearby Onepandaulo village.

Naftali Hamata, the director of health for northern Namibia, said the villagers were treated at two of the area's major hospitals and that most had recovered. He warned against eating dog meat or the carcass of any sick animal.

Dog meat is considered a delicacy among tribes in northern Namibia, and calls by animal rights organizations to end the practice are ignored.

My Email buddies were amazed at the number of people affected:

"They spread that dog pretty thin!"

Naw, only the first 12 got sick eating dog... the rest got sick eating what they thought was dog chowder.