Shoppers shocked by market stall in Cambridge claiming to sell ‘dog meat’

Animal rights activists pretending to sell dog meat shocked shoppers in Cambridge city centre.

The campaigners set up a stall outside the Guildhall and then Great St Mary’s Church on Sunday (21 April) and pretended to be employees of a satirical dog meat farm called ‘Elwood’s Organic Dog Meat’.

The organisers explained afterwards that purpose of the demonstration was to “challenge societal norms regarding animal consumption”.

The activists, from a group called We The Free, pretended to be selling dog meat with the aim of sparking public debate on the inconsistencies between how different animals are valued by society.

Ross Cook, one of the organisers said: “Our aim is not to promote the eating of dogs, but to use this scenario to highlight the arbitrary moral distinctions made between different animal species. Pigs are more intelligent than dogs, cows love to play and form close emotional bonds with herd members, chickens can remember hundreds of individual faces and fish exhibit sophisticated communication and have been known to use tools. All are sentient, living beings which feel pain and can suffer.”

While pretending to be selling dog meat, the campaigners spoke with passers-by about the ethics of distinguising between different types of meat.

Sean Barrs, participant and full-time animal rights campaigner, said: “Cambridge has such a strong community of activists and we are united by a drive to create positive change. Although our event may be seen as controversial and upsetting for some, we have done this to open the eyes of the public. We want them to consider their moral inconsistency and extend their compassion for dogs to animals that are typically considered as food.”

The Cambridge chapter of We The Free says it advocates for animal rights in the city. The group hosts regular innovative outreach events as well as community events such as group litter-picks and sanctuary volunteer days.