ogs ▁for ▁e ating ▁are ▁not ▁v acc in ated , ▁so ▁they ▁are ▁illegal ▁to ▁transport ▁or ▁to ▁sell . ▁ ▁The ▁e ating ▁of ▁dog ▁meat ▁in ▁China ▁dates ▁back ▁thousands ▁of ▁years . ▁Dog ▁meat ▁() ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁food ▁in ▁some ▁areas ▁from ▁around ▁ 5 0 0 ▁BC ▁and ▁possibly ▁even ▁earlier . ▁It ▁has ▁been ▁suggested ▁that ▁wol ves ▁in ▁southern ▁China ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁domestic ated ▁as ▁a ▁source ▁of ▁meat . ▁Men cius , ▁the ▁phil os opher , ▁talked ▁about ▁dog ▁meat ▁as ▁being ▁an ▁ed ible , ▁di et ary ▁meat . ▁It ▁was ▁reported ▁in ▁the ▁early ▁ 2 0 0 0 s ▁that ▁the ▁meat ▁was ▁thought ▁to ▁have ▁medic inal ▁properties , ▁and ▁had ▁been ▁popular ▁in ▁northern ▁China ▁during ▁the ▁winter , ▁as ▁it ▁was ▁believed ▁to ▁raise ▁body ▁temperature ▁after ▁consumption ▁and ▁promote ▁warm th . ▁Historical ▁records ▁have ▁shown ▁how ▁in ▁times ▁of ▁food ▁scarc ities ▁( as ▁in ▁war - time ▁situations ), ▁dogs ▁could ▁also ▁be ▁e aten ▁as ▁an ▁emer gency ▁food ▁source . ▁ ▁In ▁modern ▁times , ▁the ▁extent ▁of ▁dog ▁consumption ▁in ▁China ▁var ies ▁by ▁region . ▁It ▁is ▁most ▁pre val ent ▁in ▁Gu ang d ong , ▁Y unn an ▁and ▁Gu ang xi , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁northern ▁provinces ▁of ▁Heil ong ji ang , ▁J il in ▁and ▁L ia oning . ▁It ▁was ▁reported ly ▁common ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0