A bone to the dog is not charity. Charity is the bone shared with the dog, when you are just as hungry as the dog.

The saying draws a sharp line between easy generosity and genuine self-sacrifice. Giving a “bone to the dog” costs the giver little and can even reinforce hierarchy: the well-fed dispense leftovers to the needy. London’s point is that true charity begins only when the giver shares from real scarcity—when the act entails risk, discomfort, or loss comparable to the recipient’s need. The image also critiques moral self-congratulation: benevolence that does not touch one’s own security may be kindness, but it is not the demanding ethical ideal implied by “charity.” In this sense, the quote aligns with London’s recurring concern for solidarity with the poor rather than paternalistic almsgiving.