You take a turn past the free-range chicken breast display and organic grass-fed beef ribs and approach the butcher's counter for the cut you're really interested in: succulent, organic canine brisket.
Just think: it would make a great pot roast for tonight and you'd have leftovers for the kids' lunches tomorrow.
Does the thought of puppy sandwiches trigger your gag reflex or bring a sympathetic tear to your eye? Well, British celebrity chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall says if you eat other types of meat, you should get a grip. He says he'd have no problems with a "high-welfare organic puppy farm," according to the Guardian.
"You can't object, unless you object to the farming of pigs," he says.
Mr. Fearnsley-Whittingstall wouldn't eat dog steak himself (he's recently become a vegetarian) but took the controversial stance to point out the hypocrisy among meat eaters who are happy to eat animals traditionally raised as livestock but are vehemently opposed to eating those raised as pets.
Our culture's opposition to eating puppies is based on a shaky foundation, he argues. At some point, we decided dogs would make great household companions and pigs (and cows and chickens) would be raised on farms and then grilled, fried and baked.
Surprise, surprise: not everyone's a fan of his stance.
A spokesman from the RSPCA told the Daily Mail, "...His comments may seem sensible but are actually quite controversial - especially when dogs are our most popular and loved pet."
Blogs reporting on the news have resorted to posting requisite photos of too-cute-for-words puppies to tug at our heartstrings.
But when dogs are cut up by a butcher (as is the case with pigs, cows and chickens) it's easier to get into a different head space about them, as this online puppy butcher proves. The butcher also doesn't identify what breed the meat comes from, all in an effort to make people separate "dogs as pets" from "dogs as dinner."
"We breed extra large, large, medium, small and extra small dogs in the one breed. This breed is not available as a pet which depersonalizes the Puppy Beef process. You wouldn't eat your pet lamb so we take a similar approach," they explain in their FAQ.
In Canada, dog meat is perfectly legal to serve at a restaurant - it just has to be properly inspected first.
If you eat other kinds of meat, would you ever chow down some baby back beagle ribs?
