A report by Vanity Fair has unveiled a troubling incident involving Robert F. Kennedy Jr., shedding light on a controversial photograph that has raised questions about cultural sensitivity and animal welfare. The image, which dates back to 2010, shows Kennedy posing with what appears to be the barbecued remains of a dog, alongside an unidentified woman.
According to Vanity Fair, Kennedy shared this photograph with a friend who was planning a trip to Asia, suggesting that the friend might enjoy a restaurant in Korea that served dog meat. The implication was that Kennedy himself had sampled such cuisine.
This is allegedly a photo of RFK Jr. munching down on a dog carcass.
If you thought 2024 was wild, you haven't seen anything yet. pic.twitter.com/sRGRI7Jziy
— Joshua Reed Eakle 🗽 (@JoshEakle) July 2, 2024
The photo's metadata confirms it was taken in 2010, coinciding with Kennedy's diagnosis of a deceased tapeworm in his brain. A veterinarian who examined the image identified the carcass as canine, citing the presence of 13 pairs of ribs, including the characteristic "floating rib" found in dogs.
While the photograph seems to have been intended as a joke – with Kennedy and his companion striking exaggerated poses biting into the barbequed animal – its reception has been far from humorous. The friend who received the image found it deeply disturbing, viewing it as evidence of Kennedy's poor judgment and insensitivity.
"Last year Robert Kennedy Jr. texted a photograph to a friend. In the photo RFK Jr. was posing, alongside an unidentified woman, with the barbecued remains of what appears to be a dog." pic.twitter.com/Oq9UkMUNv8
— Lis Smith (@Lis_Smith) July 2, 2024
Critics argue that the photo simultaneously mocks Korean culture, trivializes animal cruelty, and demonstrates a reckless disregard for Kennedy's personal and family reputation.
In response to these allegations, Kennedy claimed on the Breaking Points podcast that the image depicted him eating a goat.
"The picture that they said is of me eating a dog, it's actually me eating a goat in Patagonia on a whitewater trip many years ago on the Futaleufu River", Kennedy said.
