, ▁until ▁the ▁ 2 0 1 8 ▁federal ▁legisl ation ▁it ▁techn ically ▁still ▁is ▁legal ▁to ▁sla ugh ter ▁an ▁animal ▁class ified ▁as ▁a ▁pet ▁if ▁it ▁is ▁“ bre d ▁for ▁human ▁consumption ” ▁and ▁done ▁in ▁a ▁“ hum ane ” ▁manner . ▁This ▁allowed ▁an ▁under ground ▁dog ▁meat ▁trade ▁to ▁leg ally ▁continue , ▁with ▁st ray , ▁lost , ▁or ▁st olen ▁dogs ▁most ▁often ▁the ▁vict ims . ▁It ▁was ▁reported ▁that ▁a ▁dog ▁but cher ▁back ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁would ▁pur port edly ▁st ab ▁or ▁bl ud geon ▁st olen ▁p ets , ▁then ▁set ▁them ▁on ▁fire ▁while ▁still ▁alive . ▁ ▁Ar ctic ▁and ▁Ant ar ctic ▁British ▁expl orer ▁Ernest ▁Sh ack leton ▁and ▁his ▁Imperial ▁Trans - Ant ar ctic ▁Ex ped ition ▁became ▁tra pped , ▁and ▁ultimately ▁killed ▁their ▁s led ▁dogs ▁for ▁food . ▁Norwegian ▁expl orer ▁Ro ald ▁Am und sen ' s ▁party ▁a te ▁s led ▁dogs ▁during ▁his ▁expedition ▁to ▁the ▁South ▁P ole . ▁This ▁allowed ▁the ▁party ▁to ▁carry ▁less ▁food , ▁thus ▁light ening ▁the ▁load . ▁When ▁comparing ▁s led ▁dogs ▁to ▁pon ies ▁as ▁dra ug ht ▁animals ▁he ▁also ▁notes : ▁There ▁is ▁the ▁obvious ▁advantage ▁that ▁dog ▁can ▁be ▁fed ▁on ▁dog . ▁One ▁can ▁reduce ▁one ' s ▁pack ▁little ▁by ▁little , ▁sla ugh ter ing ▁the ▁fe eb ler ▁ones ▁and ▁feed ing ▁the ▁chosen ▁with ▁them .