A stomach-churning video from a Nigerian dog meat market is going viral, showing terrified canines crammed into wire cages and hauled around like livestock as traders do brisk business in “404” — local slang for dog flesh.
The clip captures scenes from what animal rescuers call one of Africa’s busiest dog markets. Dogs sit chained or stuffed into baskets on dusty ground while buyers and sellers haggle. Some animals appear listless; others strain against their restraints. Rescue groups, including Dog Meat Rescue Africa, have documented the trade and attempted to pull dogs out of it.
Nigeria ranks among the world’s top consumers of dog meat. China still leads by a wide margin (estimates put the annual toll around 10 million dogs), with Vietnam close behind. Nigeria has emerged as a major player frequently cited as Africa’s largest market and often ranked third globally, particularly in southern and central regions such as Plateau State’s Dawaki market.
There, dogs are sold live or already slaughtered, with prices varying by size. Locals in certain communities prize the meat for its taste and supposed medicinal or protective properties. The practice is far less common (and often taboo) in the country’s Muslim-majority north.
Critics argue the conditions are pure cruelty: animals stressed, injured, or killed with little regard for welfare. One X user who posted the footage put it bluntly: anyone capable of that level of brutality toward a dog “has that in them to inflict it on a human.” Animal-welfare groups have long made similar points about the broader dog-meat trade across parts of Asia and Africa, citing overcrowding, rough handling, and brutal slaughter methods.
Defenders of the trade call it cultural tradition and a protein source in areas where it’s long been accepted. Markets like Dawaki have operated for generations and generate income for sellers, many of them women. Still, the graphic images keep fueling international disgust and calls for crackdowns.
The video doesn’t show the actual killing, but the cages, chains, and marketplace chaos are enough to turn stomachs. For pet owners and animal advocates, it’s another reminder that in some corners of the world, man’s best friend is still on the menu, and the trade shows no sign of disappearing overnight.
