This makes me sick to think people would eat dogs, man’s best friend. They are animals, but they are a very special kind of animal. Their bonding to humans is such that they feel connected on levels that go beyond commitments of many people I know.
Man’s best friend can also be man’s worst enemy, particularly if you are a poor person who doesn’t have poultry or other livestock to spare if poultry and rabbit-killing dogs are loose. If you are a villager any dog that wasn’t your guard dog would be a threat, and could in fact be important protein and a welcome change from eating more valuable and productive livestock. The practice of eating them probably came about in part as a way to control dogs that prey on farm animals, and continued because they developed a taste for it, and because eating a threat is more economical than killing one of your domestic animals for supper.
One way or another they would have to control the dog population to protect their livelihoods.
That said, it would be better if they were humane about it. There are other ways to tenderize meat.