▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁after ▁he ▁killed ▁and ▁cook ed ▁his ▁pet ▁dog ▁in ▁his ▁back ▁yard . ▁This ▁prompt ed ▁calls ▁to ▁ban ▁the ▁practice , ▁and ▁this ▁did ▁not ▁happen . ▁ ▁Pol yn esia ▁ ▁D ogs ▁were ▁histor ically ▁e aten ▁in ▁T ah iti ▁and ▁other ▁islands ▁of ▁Pol yn esia , ▁including ▁Hawai i ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁first ▁European ▁contact . ▁James ▁Cook , ▁when ▁first ▁visit ing ▁T ah iti ▁in ▁ 1 7 6 9 , ▁recorded ▁in ▁his ▁journal , ▁" f ew ▁were ▁there ▁of ▁us ▁but ▁what ▁allow ' d ▁that ▁a ▁South ▁Sea ▁Dog ▁was ▁next ▁to ▁an ▁English ▁Lamb , ▁one ▁thing ▁in ▁their ▁favour ▁is ▁that ▁they ▁live ▁entirely ▁upon ▁Veg et ables ". ▁Cal win ▁Schw abe ▁reported ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 9 ▁that ▁dog ▁was ▁widely ▁e aten ▁in ▁Hawai i ▁and ▁considered ▁to ▁be ▁of ▁higher ▁quality ▁than ▁p ork ▁or ▁ch icken . ▁When ▁Hawai ians ▁first ▁encountered ▁early ▁British ▁and ▁American ▁expl or ers , ▁they ▁were ▁at ▁a ▁loss ▁to ▁explain ▁the ▁visitors ' ▁att itudes ▁about ▁dog ▁meat . ▁The ▁Hawai ians ▁raised ▁both ▁dogs ▁and ▁p igs ▁as ▁p ets ▁and ▁for ▁food . ▁They ▁could ▁not ▁understand ▁why ▁their ▁British ▁and ▁American ▁visitors ▁only ▁found ▁the ▁p ig ▁suitable ▁for ▁consumption . ▁This ▁practice ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁died ▁out , ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁native ▁Hawai ian ▁bre ed ▁of ▁dog , ▁the ▁unique ▁Hawai ian ▁Po i