Why its Important to KNOW Your Pet Food Products
    How can you be sure you are not feeding Fido to Rover?

    by Mike Fry

    For years, the notion that euthanized dogs and cats were being used to manufacturer pet foods has been met with some cynicism. However, a recent article by Patrick White of Reuters (Read Story) adds credibility to this claim. The article, dated June 5, 2001, discusses the recent decision of Sanimal, a 62-year-old rendering company in Quebec, to discontinue use of euthanized dogs and cats in products sold to pet food companies.

    Think the pet overpopulation problem isn't so bad? Think again. A large, kill-based shelter in the USA can produce as much as 100 tons of animal carcasses per year. Many large rendering facilities in the USA will render as much as 40,000 pounds of dog and cat carcasses per week. With pet food companies being the largest purchasers of rendered products, and no laws prohibiting the inclusion of pets in pet foods, dogs and cats are an inexpensive and constant source of meat for pet food companies looking to produce inexpensive products on a large scale. While the pet food industry has stated that the meat from euthanized dogs and cats is a viable food source, a study conducted at the University of Minnesota concluded that Sodium Pentobarbital (the chemical often used to euthanize dogs and cats) can survive the rendering process, adding potentially dangerous carcinogens to the food.

    Perhaps most startlingly, the Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) released data from a preliminary study in 1996 in which they tested pet foods for the presence of Sodium Pentobarbital, the most common agent used to kill companion animals. Surprisingly, the CVM preliminary data did locate Sodium Pentobarbital, even even though they sampled only a handful of pet foods. Since that time, CVM has announced that it will be publishing a more complete study, which has yet to be released.

    And, perhaps most convincingly, a story printed in the Times of Louisiana stated that the rendering company that normally processed the carcasses for Caddo Animal Control (10,000 -- 15,000 animals per year from that facility alone) had to discontinue the organizations rendering contract. The unnamed rendering company was reportedly updating the equipment they use to manufacture pet food. The new equipment being installed would not be tolerant of hair, according to the article. So the rendering company would no longer be able to process dogs and cats.

    If you would like to avoid feeding your pets euthanized dogs and cats, read pet food labels and avoid products that contain unidentified animal products. Avoid products that contain ambiguous-sounding ingredients like animal fat, animal tallow, and animal by-products. Instead, look for products that contain only human-grade, known meat sources like lamb, poultry, beef and chicken.

    For those of you purchasing pet foods online from Animal Ark, rest assured. Our consulting veterinarian, Dr. Linda Wolf, screens all pet foods offered in our catalog. We accept only pet foods that contain human-grade, identified meat sources for sale in our online catalog.
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