Dog Eat Dog

My favourite project at the Royal College of Art work in progress show this year was by an architecture student from unit ADS.3 (tutors: Fernando Rihl, Kirsteen MacKay).

In Dog Eat Dog, Jordan Hodgson asks some though-provoking questions:
To what extent as a society are we willing to pursue the sustainable ideals of the 21st century? Are we willing to cross ethical boundaries and venture into taboo markets for these purposes?

2127 dogs and 74 cats are destroyed annually at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home (BDCH).

The biomass (70 478 kg) produced needs to be disposed of in a responsible, ecological fashion because of the many harmful agents given off when biological material decomposes. BDCH currently cremates these pets.

Would it be possible to regard this biomass waste as an untapped and positive resource waiting to be exploited, could it become both beneficial and complimentary to the centre? Hodgson proposes a solution to the issue which involves working simultaneously with the BDCH existing facilities and introducing new subversive and hidden elements such as turning the body of cats and dogs into pet food, setting up a dog fight betting business and developing the taxidermy potential of dogs. His scenario would turn a non-profit organization (BDCH) into a profitable one.

Along his research, the young architect gathered a series of facts and figures:

A dog is worth up to 35x more dead than alive from Battersea. Dogs are worth £85 at Battersea alive. Mounted in a taxidermy shop they are worth up to £3000.

105 068 stray dogs alone were destroyed in the UK last year. That is a 3% increase from the year before. (more details in 2007 Stray Dogs Survey Result Breakdown.)

10% of these animals were destroyed in London.

25% of the breeds that pass through BDCH home are Staffordshire and Bull Terriers.

10 000 dogs and cats (either strays or pets handed over by their owners) pass through BDCH annually.

158 500 cans of dog and cat food are consumed at Battersea each year.

232 447 cans could potentially be produced by using the destroyed dogs and cats. They would feed all the animals living at the center.

5 483 extra cans would be produced that could be distributed for profit from the Battersea shop.

Alongside the existing shop in Battersea, Hodgson imagine that new facilities could open such as a “Taxidermy showcase & shop” to produce taxidermy on site, a taxidermy school and workshop to promote the profession of taxidermy and raise the UK profile. Caning factory producing dog (or cat) meat canned and labeled. A rendering plant to process dead animals into pet food.

An online market would also be developed. For example, You Tube would be used for the betting purposes of the dog fights.

The recycling of pets is considered a repugnant market with many bioethical factors to be taken into consideration. With 22% of UK households being pet owners can we accept the justification of such a proposal? The project is sustainable but would it be acceptable?

I’m worth 35 times more dead than alive

Images 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6 courtesy of Jordan Hodgson.

How the re-structured center would function (bigger size)

8Comments

Add yours

1

cati on February 18, 2008 at 8:43 pm

The imagery is so scary!
2

regine on February 18, 2008 at 10:03 pm

now that’s the thing. when i first saw the project at the show, i thought that its author was as cynical as i am. But i later spoke with Jordan and realized how deeply he cares about dogs and cats. i was amazed as much as you are by the strength of the images he made. It’s a contrast reflected in his project: it could potentially save more dogs and cats, yet what is at the forefront is the disturbing and cruel aspects of the scenario he presents.
3

G.Ann on February 19, 2008 at 2:32 pm

My first thought was that this was a Swiftian farce. But reading on, I realized it was serious.
The dog fighting I can’t get behind, but feeding dogs to dogs… Well… It would be easy to make jokes here. But on the serious side, look at the beef industry. We’ve been feeding cows to cows for years and then WE eat the cows. Not much different that feeding dogs to dogs. Except that we keep ourselves emotionally detached from cows and emotionally dependent on dogs.
4

Bonita on February 20, 2008 at 6:42 pm

A society that doesn’t recognize the value of all its living inhabitants, a society that demeans and demoralizes those living inhabitants, is beyond shame, beyond redemption
5

Jaki on February 22, 2008 at 5:46 pm

perhaps you should now address vegetables
6

siobhan on February 27, 2008 at 1:40 am

We are already THERE folks.
We (the U.S.) are already feeding dogs and cats to our pets. There have been articles and even a book on the subject, I believe.
There are humane societies who sell their euthanized pets and collected roadkill to rendering plants (I worked at one). These rendering plants handle all meats deemed unfit for consumption by humans.
The rendering plant melts the pets down into yummy animal fats and meal, all which end up in your grocery store pet food, such as Pedigree – which does donate to shelters.
7

Ed on December 2, 2008 at 2:38 am

The idea of puting these poor animals through hell, doing dog fights, and having them die by being torn limb for limb rather than euthinasia… And then condemning those who survive to continue for the remainder of their lives, and even breeding yet MORE dogs, as if there aren’t too many out there all ready, for the sole purpose of puting them through that same fighting hell!!! That’s sick and wrong!!!
I hope I’m just miss understanding, and this isn’t really serious, because I am definately sick just thinking about this!
8

J on May 31, 2009 at 3:34 pm

http://www.jordanhodgson.com

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