A person kills a chicken in public, no charges are laid.
If that person were to kill a dog, or cat in public I would bet you that person would be charged in a heart beat.
Humans eat both chickens and dogs, however North Americans are not used to eating “pets”, they are used to buying their chicken in a package.
If their were no more packaged foods, the majority of people would starve to death, except those who could fend for themselves. Hunt, prepare and cook hunted aniimals and know what is edible in the wild.
Interesting laws we humans have… which comes to mind this thought… The pet you walk around outside on public land can legally pee any volume of pee, however the bylaw states that feces (if left) is punishable by a fine. Both are organic fertilizer.
It certainly depends on the circumstances and method of killing. Cockfights are illegal in nearly every state and the organizers prosecuted under animal cruelty laws.
Some pets are killed on NA farms. When the cow got old, they’d eat it, despite it being named Betsy and the kids trat it like a family pet. Would happen with pigs, rabbits, just about anything edible.
I buy my meat packaged. But if circumstances changed and we all had to suddenly become farmers and ranchers, we would not starve.
And besides… Why pick on North Americans? I don’t think the majority of folks in London, Rome, Tokyo, Shanghai, Sydney, or Mexico City are chopping up their own chickens, pigs, or cattle for dinner tonight. There are markets selling meat everywhere.
A few years ago some folks killed a goat for food in public( Melbourne). They were charged with various things related to being public nuisances, making a hell of a mess, upsetting the kiddies (ah hell I can’t remember). I imagine if I were to walk down the main street and start killing chickens I would be in a bit of strife too.
Well, I don’t know what it’s like where you live, but here in the UK we have pretty tight laws about humane treatment of animals and slaughter. You can’t just stand in the street and wring a chicken’s neck.
If there were no more packaged foods, we would go back to having butchers, like our parents had (I buy my meat from a butcher, in any case).