Selling dog meat may be strange in most parts of the South-West but not in Ondo State. Forty-two-year-old Felix Akinpelumi realised this and set up a joint where he sold dog meat pepper soup. But when business was bad, he opted out in 1999 and relocated to Benin in Edo State where he worked as a driver.But 12 years after his relocation, some youths from Ondo prevailed on Akinpelumi to come home and return to his old trade. He agreed after a while and chose a spot around the Ore Garage in Oka area to set up his joint in March this year. Akinpelumi, popularly known as Hello sells roast dog meat known as Asun (barbecue) to his customers during the day and prepare it in form of pepper soup in the evening.He told PUNCH METRO on Saturday that he makes more money selling dog meat now than when he was driving a trailer. "As a driver, I received N10,000 monthly salary but now I make an average gain of N4,000 per day," he said.He said there were no fewer than 13 joints all over Ondo town where dog meat was prepared and sold as special delicacy to customers who included professionals such as medical doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers, and civil servants among others.Our correspondent, who went round the town discovered that fried dog meat is being hawked openly on major streets, especially at Odo-Ijomu area. It is prepared as roast meat or pepper soup at Ayeyemi New Garage, Yaba, Oka and Odosida among others places. Akinpelumi said, "I prepare hot pepper soup with the dog meat, which I buy between N6,000 and N8, 000. I slaughter the dog and prepare it by myself."People who patronise me are mostly indigenes of Ondo town. Many people do not mind eating it and they enjoy it."I also sell drinks which most of my customers take along with the pepper soup. I open my shop around 10am and close around 10pm." Asked whether some of his customers have any reservations about the dog meat, Akinpelumi said his patrons saw the meat as a delicacy and not as an object of sacrifice as some people believed.One of his customers, Mr. Akintunde Akinawo, said he enjoyed the delicacy because of its richness in protein. He said, "I dont share the view that dog is a forbidden meat. It is just like any other meat. Those who sell the meat buy the dogs in open markets and slaughter them openly."Another patron, Mr. Siji Oshin, faulted the claims by some people that dog, being a domestic animal, ought not to be killed for food or sacrifice."Dog meat if well prepared with adequate ingredients could cure malaria and back-ache. I have tried it and it works for me," he said.Other customers, who shared their views with our correspondents, maintained that there was nothing wrong or abhorrent about eating dog meat.Mama Precious as another seller of the delicacy is popularly called, sells fried dog meat at Ayeyemi junction, Odo-Ijomu. She told our correspondent that being a product of a Muslim home before she changed her faith, dog meat was prohibited in her family.She however explained that she took to the business of selling the once "forbidden" meat in her home because she discovered that it was a very lucrative business in Ondo town.She said, "An average Ondo man or woman eats and enjoys dog meat. We dont see anything bad about it. Those who cannot afford it as barbecue or pepper soup would buy as little as a N20 piece of the meat."A plate of dog meat pepper soup in Ondo is sold for between N100 and N200, while the roasted ones could be bought with as low as N50.A student of Adeyemi College of Education, who is an indigene of the town, Miss Christiana Omosola, said her dad eats dog meat but does not allow his children to eat it."My dad eats dog meat but he does not allow us to eat it and he does not give us any reason why we should not. I am aware that some Christians are preaching against it," Omosola said.She made a reference to a man who usually slaughters dogs to welcome home his children staying outside the state whenever they visit.
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