“Dog cutlets with petits pois”

During the 1871 Prussian siege of Paris, hungry and wealthy Parisians famously devoured the contents of the city’s zoo, as well as cats, rats and dogs. Adolphe Michel, editor of the daily newspaper Le Siècle, attended a dinner where “dog cutlets with petits pois” and “brochettes of dog liver” appeared on the menu. The dog cutlets were over-marinated, he concluded, but the brochettes were “tender and completely agreeable”.

We don’t know for sure exactly how much dog meat humans actually ate – and reports of their consumption have undoubtedly been exaggerated.

In any case, modern Parisians have paid far more attention to what dogs eat, rather than what they taste like. As far bac ck asa the 19th century, public hygie en ni s sts were praising stray dogs’ ’ prp r roclivity for scavenging harmfu ul debrisd ebris from the streets – includin ng g infected carcasses coveredred in flies – so doing their bit to keep the city clean.

Since then, countless owners have tried to give their dogs a more refined diet. Just like their British and American counterparts, French vets have long advised dog-owners to provide their pets with a balanced diet of bread, vegetables and meat. And, by the late 19th century, they were were being bombarded by adverts for Spratt’s dog biscuits, a mixture of processed flour, vegetables and meat powder.