Why are these animal lovers being such hypocrites?

It's more a double standard than hypocrisy, although I cringe when a person declares herself/himself an "animal lover" while they're wearing leather & munching a chicken limb. This person is an animal "enjoy-er" perhaps, or a lover of specific (ie cuddly) species.

I agree 100% that there's essentially no difference between eating a pig & eating a Pekingese. It's the value we give specific animals. Take rats, for example. Here, they're often considered pests or suitable lab specimens, but I consider them sweet companions (we have 7) & I know people who have eaten them. Out of tradition, culture or whatever, we differentiate between "food" animals & "companion" animals.

"Food" animals have personality and emotions whether we admit it or not. As you might know, pigs are about as intelligent as dogs or cats. A cow recently rescued her human during a flash flood (if I can find the link again I'll post it). When I was a kitten, I had 2 pet chickens who would follow me around the yard.

Was it Sir Paul McCartney that said "If slaughterhouses had glass walls we'd all be vegetarian"?

Most people are usually closed minded when it comes to forming an opinion about someone who dines on dog, horse or cat meat. History shows that these cultures usually had to eat what was available.

Times got hard enough the family pet will be whats for dinner.

People should protest how these animals are treated before slaughter. This includes cows, chickens and pigs.

It's not hypocritical, where on earth did you get that from? Being hypocritical is calling yourself a Vegetarian but you still think its perfectly fine to eat Fish thus making you a Pescatarian not a Vegetarian.

But back to the point I think its entirely how a person is brought up; I lived on an English farm as a child and have no issue with eating any kind of farm animal and I was always taught they were for food.

I have kept rabbit, gerbils and guinea pigs as well but I'd never dream of eating them... I have always believed that they are there to live a happy life and then pass when its their time not when we want to eat. You don't find them (apart from rabbit in some) at the supermarket or at the butchers so we can eat other things.

If you were to go to Peru they would think nothing of eating a guinea pig but that's because of there culture just like mine was to not eat them

As a vegetarian, I cannot imagine eating any animals but I do agree that people have a bit of a double standard here when it comes to "which" animals it's ok to eat.

For instance, in some countries, they torture then eat cats and dogs.
We here in the US think that's horrible but we torture then eat cows, chickens, pigs.

All I can say is that most humans are self-satisfying uncaring jerks.

It's because it's not done in our society, if it were people wouldn't think nothing of it
and no i would never eat one since i own 5 of my own but if it were done here i wouldn't think anything of it

People in general are hypocrites. In any country of the world. Now as to the BS of animal shelters--god knows what people are thinking. I suppose it's because pets are used as an accessory of people. They make us happy. But when we don't need them, we put them away in the most 'humane' way possible. Most everyone who leaves a dog in a shelter are certain their animal will be put down. But euthanasia is different from a Michael Vick put down. Responsible pet owners find people to adopt their dogs.

take some punkass dog lovers as an example, they dont support eating dogs but they support eating cows and pigs etc. They are just stupid and incompetent and weight some animals over other animals even humans, and animal lovers will KILL humans for abusing or consuming animals, **** this

It just depends on your culture :) I am a vegetarian, and even if it I wasn't, and it was in my culture to eat rabbits, dogs, horses etc. I would still object as they are part of the family? But once again, it is up to each individual as to which culture they belong too. I treat every animal the same way, wether it be a cow, or an adorable puppy, too me, they are all deserving of respect and oen day, maybe we will all realise that animals are our bond to the earth, without them, the eco-system would be even more corrupted than we have made it today.

This is my opinion anyways >.<

I don't bring a cow into my home and treat it like one of my family. I do bring a cat or a dog into my home and treat it like family. A cow is not a pet and a pet is not food.

In cultures where eating dog and cat is accepted, they probably don't see dogs and cats as pets, they see them as animals to be raised for food, the same way we see pigs and chickens as animals to be raised as food.