The absence of dogs from the agricultural statistics of almost every dog or cat eating nation tends to confirm that they are eaten not primarily for food value, but rather as a vice, believed to enhance sexual attraction and potency. Some of the Asian nations in which dogs and cats are eaten are descended from some of the first civilizations to keep written records. Statistics on grain production and animal husbandry in many ancient Asian empires are still accessible to scholars who can read the scripts.

Yet quantifying dog consumption, either historically or today, remains more mysterious than estimating the numbers of children born out of wedlock, the truth of which is emerging through genetic research that seeks to trace the descendants of Genghis Khan and other legendary rulers. animal advocates in all parts of Asia confirmed from direct knowledge that dogs are consumed in relatively small numbers by ethnic minorities, and are eaten in large numbers in parts of China and in North and South Korea. Few, however, could estimate how many dogs are consumed.
Those who are trying to develop numbers are mostly still in the early stages of collecting data. The importance of becoming able to quantify dog eating goes beyond just estimating the extent of it. As petkeeping becomes more popular relative to eating dogs , and the pet supply industry becomes more prosperous and infuential within Asian national economies, petkeepers might be mobilized to influence poiticians to finally halt dog eating.
Accurately assessing the economic strength of the dog meat industry is critical, however --and it is especially important to discourage pet food manufacturers from perceiving dog meat producers as a potential growth market, to be encouraged as some American pet food producers have encouraged puppy mills, in an alliance that has often obstructed humane legislation.
Vice is distinguished from other commerce by occurring out of sight of most of the public, in neighborhoods rarely frequented by decent people. Official records on vice are not kept by the agencies that normally track commerce because to keep records would be to admit the existence of a traffic of which many citizens disapprove. There are ways, nonetheless, to document the extent of vices.

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