There is no inspection of pet food or meat and bone meal shipped in from other states. Smucker Co. withdrew shipments of several brands of dog foods amid reports that the product was tainted with pentobarbital. AAFCO president admits dead/rendered animal remains from euthanized pets are used in making pet food. Much more recently, San Francisco Chronicle staff writer John Eckhouse went even further with a two-part exposé entitled “Pet-Food Labels Baffle Consumers,” and (a good candidate for a horror movie title) “How Dogs and Cats Get Recycled Into Pet Food.”. Dell, Kristina.     Accessed 9 March 2017. Urban legends about pets are some of the most tenacious and reaction-provoking, prominent among them a long-held belief that pet food (particularly the cheapest brands… Fish and fish derivatives Fish is an excellent source of high quality protein, and this is why we use it in many of our PURINA ® pet food recipes. Nestle Purina Petcare, you need to make a public statement that you are not using euthanized animals in any of your pet food products. Never mind that most shelter pets were being euthanized via lethal injection using a barbiturate. The results of that survey rocked pet owners: in 2018, WJLA reported that several Gravy Train canned dog foods were adulterated with pentobarbital. The FDA asserted in 2002 that their Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) investigated and that none of the dog foods they tested showed dog or cat DNA in the protein of the foods. Best Wet Cat Food The Best Wet Cat Food The Market Flooded With Various Brands Of Wet Food … Accessed 9 March 2017. "Pets that eat pet food containing pentobarbital can experience drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, nausea, nystagmus (eyes moving back and forth in a … If buying sustainable pet food doesn’t appeal to you, make your own! Landers, Jackson. However, although the FDA in their investigation of pet foods “found [that] some samples contained pentobarbital,” they found no evidence of cat or dog DNA in those samples and suggested the more likely source of pentobarbital in pet foods was rendered cattle or horses: Because pentobarbital is used to euthanize dogs and cats at animal shelters, finding pentobarbital in rendered feed ingredients could suggest that the pets were rendered and used in pet food. Belfield, Dr. Wendell O. Purina's website claims "At Purina, we're passionately committed to making pets' lives better". 15 February 2017. There is no simple way to look at a shipment of meat and bone meal and tell exactly what species are in the mix. If you find this hard to believe, read this EPA document yourself about rendering plants Divers Exploring Titanic Make ‘Deeply Shocking’ New Discovery? In late 2020, internet users highlighted a shocking episode from the legendary blues guitarist's past. In Los Angeles alone, two hundred tons of euthanized animals including dogs are delivered to rendering plants on a monthly basis. Pet food includes the rendered remains of euthanized cats and dogs. “9.5.3 Meat Rendering Plants.” In February 2018, the J.M. Euthanized shelter pets are often sent to rendering plants with plastic flea collars and ID tags still attached, where they are shoved into the shredding machine and these chemicals and other items are processed into the resulting meat mixture that is used in pet food.     Natural News. In that video, former Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) president Hersh Pendell also states that it’s impossible to tell exactly what’s in rendered meat (but doesn’t say it necessarily includes dog or cat carcasses): Plants that collect their raw materials from a variety of offsite sources are called independent rendering plants. The results demonstrated a complete absence of material that would have been derived from euthanized dogs or cats. See this article and the attached articles for more detailed information:http://www.examiner.com/american-pit-bull-in-national/horror-story-what-s-really-your-dog-s-food. Purina is the most commonly purchased low-cost brand of cat and dog food by low income pet owners who cannot afford to buy the more expensive high quality foods. Pets love to get an extra bite of our food whenever they can, so you need to be careful about what they get their paws on — as some things can be very dangerous to their health. The Gravy Train name is owned by Big Heart Pet Brands, a subsidiary of the J.M. They are the regulatory group responsible for regulating pet food. Pet care and pet stores Amount of money spent on pets per year in the U.S. as of 2015, by reason Estimated annual expenses for dog and cat owners in the U.S. 2019 19 April 2013. Definitive evidence proving the claim of rendered pets in pet food (such as DNA testing) is lacking. FDA technically has authority, but the agency has passed this off to a set of partnerships and nongovernmental organizations that encourage mostly voluntary compliance with the few federal standards. Poisoned Pets is unique in that it is entirely free from commercial influence, it does not accept advertising, corporate or government funding, or participate in commercial sponsorships or endorsements. “A Dog-Eat-Dog World. Did Walmart Employees Hide a PS5 Stash for Themselves? These “4-Ds” permit dog food manufacturers to throw almost anything they can get their hands on into their products, as long as it was alive at some point in the last century or so. This material may not be reproduced without permission. The J.M. The announcement comes after a Washington, D.C., news station investigated the … The high number was based on the assumption that the smallest dogs would eat dog food containing the greatest amount of pentobarbital detected in the survey of commercial pet foods-- … According to her source, several dogs had died from ingesting the drug in pet food. Some versions of the rumor stem from legitimate instances in which pet food has been recalled over the presence of pentobarbital (a drug whose uses include the euthanization of companion animals), a situation which occurred in February 2017. Don’t keep the pet food where the people food is in the house and wash hands after handling the food or pets.” (**My opinion) I don’t know about you – but if I had to wash my hands after I handled the dinner I just plated for myself, I probably wouldn’t want to eat it. [20] Almost all of the foods are wet foods, specifically the 'cuts and gravy' varieties. In the second article, published on February 19, 1990, Mr. Eckhouse, an investigative reporter, writes: “Each year, millions of dead American dogs and cats are processed along with billions of pounds of other animal materials by companies known as renderers. Joy Austin needs your help with “Nestle Purina PetCare: Are you including euthanized animals in dry pet food products?”. The study, which …     Gizmodo. During the 1990s, FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) received reports from veterinarians that pentobarbital, an anesthetizing agent used for dogs and other animals, seemed to be losing its effectiveness in dogs. Drugs used to euthanize pets have been found in some pet foods, leading to rumors the product may include rendered dead cats and dogs. Euthanized animals are illegal per federal law to be included in any food including pet food, but FDA openly allows this material to be used in pet food. The most likely explanation for pentobarbital in pet food is the presence of a euthanized animal in the food chain. Smith, Jessica. However, including euthanized animals is simply inexcusable, nor are the resulting health problems that this creates in our own pets acceptable. Euthanasia drugs, of course, do not disperse or go inert, which is why when you have pets put down, you must have them cremated (at least that is what I am told). Feb. 16, 2018 -- The FDA on Friday warned pet owners that several popular brands of dog food has been found to include small amounts of a drug used to euthanize animals. The rendering industry gets very vague about what is in meat and bone meal, even in otherwise highly technical documents. “The True Horrors of Pet Food Revealed: Prepare to Be Shocked by What Goes Into Dog Food and Cat Food.” J.M. U.S. Food And Drug Administration. The investigation consisted of two parts. Presently, it is assumed that the pentobarbital residues are entering pet foods from euthanized, rendered cattle or even horses. But how would they really know? Smucker Company. Slate referenced the claim in a 2013& article, suggesting it could possibly be true due to a lack of stringent oversight of pet food manufacturers: There is essentially no federal enforcement of standards for the contents of pet food. House Bill 560 would … 5 April 2007. But first, to prevent the condemned meat from being rerouted and used for human consumption, government regulations require that the meat must be “denatured” before it is removed from the slaughterhouse. The city of Los Angeles alone sends about 200 tons of dead pets to a rendering plant each month. As the largest producer of low-cost pet food, we understand that Purina maintains its low prices by using lower grade quality meats and ingredients. Recent news has cast doubt upon this statement. No pet owner in their right mind would want to feed euthanized animals or road kill but that is the unfortunate reality of the pet food industry. Though time-consuming and somewhat controversial , raw diets are a huge … Does Your Pet’s Food Contain Dead Pets?” “Pets that eat pet food containing pentobarbital can experience drowsiness, dizziness, excitement, loss of balance, nausea, nystagmus (eyes moving back and forth in a … Find frozen raw dog food, freeze-dried options, premium kibbles, natural cat food, nutritional supplements, in Florida. As a precautionary measure, Menu Foods also recalled all brands of food with wheat gluten in them even though the source of the gluten was not the same as the source behind the contaminated findings. Dog Food Advisor. Earth Pets Natural Pet Market Local Pet Food and Supply Store is a Healthy Pet Shop near Jacksonville with everything you need for your Dogs & Cats. http://www.examiner.com/american-pit-bull-in-national/horror-story-what-s-really-your-dog-s-food, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. All of the following Purina dog foods contain meat and bone meal: Purina Dog Chow, Alpo dry dog food, Purina Beneful, Purina Active Senior, Purina Fit & Trim, Purina Little Bites, Purina Healthy Morsels. The Origins of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.     Flickr. Sissa, Dea. 1 April 2008. It is also used in many rescues and shelters. Aside from the horror of your pet eating the processed remains of dead animals, there are more serious health risks. Does Pet Food Include Rendered Euthanized Pets. How the drug might have entered the pet food supply chain was unknown, but the company said they were “focusing on a single supplier of a minor ingredient used at one manufacturing facility.”, Although advances in DNA testing have made it much easier to detect the possible presence of material derived from euthanized dogs or cats in pet foods, we have turned no reports documenting anyone’s finding that to be the case. Did TikTok Videos ‘Expose’ McDonald’s Breakfast? Although most major brand pet food manufacturers deny that they use euthanized shelter animals in pet food, the fact remains that it is done, and it is legal. However, including euthanized animals is simply inexcusable, nor are the resulting health problems that this creates in our own pets acceptable. Many pet food manufacturers, including [a] site run by a pet food industry group, say that they are not using rendered pets to make a cannibal of your dog. Since pentobarbital is showing up in rendered pet foods, one would wonder exactly what animals were euthanized and thrown into those rendering vats. Environmental Protection Agency: Emissions Factors. By joining, or logging in via Facebook, you accept Change.org’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. According to what she head, Old Roy is made partially from Old Roy himself. Is the Island from the Allstate TV Ad Real? However, even California allows rendered pets to be processed and sold out of state for pet food as meat and bone meal. Nestle Purina PetCare: Are you including euthanized animals in dry pet food products? The origins of that belief are difficult to pin down. Like many rumors it tends to spike in popularity at seemingly random intervals, but one of its earliest and more prominent versions appeared around 1997 on a web page that has since vanished (although its text remains the basis for many versions of the rumor): In 1981 while Martin Zucker and I wrote the first of my two books, How to Have a Healthier Dog, we discovered the full extent of the negative effects of commercial pet foods of that time. AAFCO is short for The Association of American Feed Control. Does AstraZeneca’s COVID-19 Vaccine Contain Aborted Fetal Cells?     Your Animal’s Health. There are two options AAFCO president admits dead/rendered animal remains from euthanized pets are used in making pet food. Urban legends about pets are some of the most tenacious and reaction-provoking, prominent among them a long-held belief that pet food (particularly the cheapest brands) is made, in part, from the rendered euthanized remains of cats and dogs themselves: I have heard from a friend of mine (who heard it from her professors in college) that Old Roy can or once did pose a danger to dogs. That growth has garnered the attention of investors and some large human food manufacturing companies. Big Heart Brands manufacturers an enormous amount of branded – and private label – dry and wet pet food, and pet snacks under the Meow Mix, Milk-Bone, Kibbles ‘n Bits, 9Lives, Natural Balance, Pup-Peroni, Gravy Train, Nature. The FDA assessment noted that “pentobarbital is routinely used to euthanize animals [so] the most likely way it could get into dog food would be in rendered animal products” and that “[pentobarbital] seems to be able to survive the rendering process,” leading that agency to posit that euthanized companion animals could be posing a contamination risk if they were being rendered into pet foods. Mandelbaum, Ryan F.   “Dog Foods Recalled Over Concerns of Euthanasia Drug Contamination.” Did Bing Confirm China Would Invade the USA? However, that particular mishap (which resulted in the death of at least one dog) was attributed to contaminated beef and not to the presence of rendered dogs or cats in pet food. Which is when the vet community put two and two together and formed a hypothesis: that pets ingesting low levels of barbiturates in pet foods over a prolonged period of time might actually become resistant to these drugs. Ol'Roy. “Food Not Fit for a Pet.” That is, the dog food contains parts of euthanized dogs. Mollie Morrissette, is the author and founder of Poisoned Pets, the independent, online journal in the critically under-reported area of pet food safety. “Unraveling the Pet-Food Mystery.” The protein percentage of a load of cats and dogs looks basically the same as a shipment of carcasses from a poultry farm. “Food and Drug Administration/Center for Veterinary Medicine Report on the Risk from Pentobarbital in Dog Food.” Yet federal and state agencies, including the Food and Drug Administration and medical groups such as the American Veterinary Medical Association and the California Veterinary Medical Association, confirm that pets, on a routine basis, are rendered after they die in animal shelters or are disposed of by health authorities, and the end product frequently finds its way into pet food … Now that the rendering companies are entities unto their own they can service many slaughterhouses, plus process any other animal remains that can be rendered. All of the "ingredients" listed above, including the euthanized dogs are used by minor and major commercial dog food manufacturers to be part of your dog's daily diet. Was a Living Triceratops Found in Indonesia? Smucker Company. AAFCO is short for The Association of American Feed Control. The results of that survey rocked pet owners: in 2018, WJLA reported that several Gravy Train canned dog foods were adulterated with pentobarbital. Join Joy and 765 supporters today. The agency says it … All of the following Purina cat foods contain meat and bone meal: Purina does not list the ingredients for its Deli-Cat and Kit & Kaboodle brand cat foods anywhere on the Internet. Smucker Company has initiated a voluntary withdrawal of various wet dog food products, according to Dog Food Advisor, due to the potential to contain levels of pentobarbital, a pet euthanasia drug. You can view a full list of the affected products here. The denatured carcasses and other waste can then be transported to the rendering facility. The president of AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) recently admitted on camera that it is a commonly accepted practice for euthanized pets to be sent to rendering plants where their bodies are blended and cooked into a mixture known as "meat and bone meal" that is used in many dry pet foods. Independent plants obtain animal by-product materials, including grease, blood, feathers, offal, and entire animal carcasses, from the following sources: butcher shops, supermarkets, restaurants, fast-food chains, poultry processors, slaughterhouses, farms, ranches, feedlots, and animal shelters.     Slate. The Gravy Train name is owned by Big Heart Pet Brands, a subsidiary of the J.M. First, CVM had to determine if dog food could contain residues of the drug. Check Out The Best Grain-Free Cat Food Specifically Amount Pet Owners Who Are Keen On Feeding Their Pets The Best And Most Nutrition Filled Diet. Based on these reports, CVM officials decided to investigate a plausible theory that the dogs were exposed to pentobarbital through dog food, and that this exposure was making them less responsive to pentobarbital when it was used as a drug. “Do They Really Use Dead Dogs and Cats to Make Pet Food?” A viral anti-vaccine video mangles the science behind the production of a potential COVID-19 vaccine. Smucker Company is voluntarily withdrawing shipments of several of its dog food brands, including Gravy Train, Kibbles ’N Bits, Ol’ Roy and Skippy. The Association of American Feed Control Officials takes the lead in setting and maintaining standards, but it conducts no testing of food and has no enforcement authority … [E]ven California allows rendered pets to be processed and sold out of state for pet food as meat and bone meal. The phenobarbital used in euthanasia has been found to remain in significant amounts in meat processed from euthanized animals. 21 October 2005. A viral bit of copypasta falsely claiming to have been authored by Robert F. Kennedy... Did Eric Clapton Once Unleash a Racist Rant Onstage? Menu Foods: Over 50 brands of dog food, [19] and over 40 brands of cat food. The mention of the term “animal shelters” as one source of material for rendering plants again suggests the possibility that cats and dogs are being rendered, but many shelters also take in a variety of other species (including ones more typically consumed by humans and their pets), such as chickens, ducks, geese, rabbits, goats, and various farm animals. [S]cientists, as part of their investigation, developed a test to detect dog and cat DNA in the protein of the dog food. 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