In regards to eating meat

[3DMonkey]

I think this really sums it up. It's attachment to self based on similarities. 'I feel for this because I am like this.'

Or, one could look at it another way: It's feeling compassion for entities who are similar FIRST, before being able to feel compassion for entities who are dissimilar.

To me, this is free to the will of every individual, and therefore spiritually relevant only to the extent of such will. If it bothers you, so be it. If it doesn't bother you, so be it.

I wonder how others might feel if I decide I'd like to eat their dog. Would it bother them? If so, what does that mean?

That has nothing to do with eating, because the "bother" is the same as if you wanted to take my car and drive it into a lake.