Why China's dogs are off the menu.

• Position: Pets - Brief article

The Chinese have eaten dog meat for thousands of years, in part for its supposed medicinal properties. But in Beijing today, it s easier to find dog-treat stores, doggie social networks, and doggie swimming pools than dog entrees. It's a big change from just two decades ago--and a sign of how quickly China is hurtling from impoverished nation to global economic power. More than 900,000 dogs are now registered in Beijing as pets, and the number is growing by 10 percent a year. In a way, China is coming flail circle as far as dogs go. Centuries ago, the elite kept dogs as pets; the Pekingese breed dates to the 700s, when Chinese emperors made it the palace...