Question:
I have been made aware that millions of dogs and cats euthanized yearly at shelters and veterinarian offices often finish up at rendering plants. The end product, which can include traces of the chemicals used during euthanizing, is used by the cosmetic and pet-food industries, among others. Might you have input on health repercussions from this practice on our pets and ourselves? Aside from the obligatory cloak of secrecy due to the public's squeamishness in acknowledging certain unpleasant realities, are the moral implications of rendering unwanted domestic animals different from that of the cows, sheep, goats and horses that pass daily through our slaughter yards? Much as the pharmaceutical industry courts the medical community, do you believe veterinarians are pressured by commercial pet-food manufacturers to recommend their products, and can they do so in good conscience? If anyone would have the integrity and courage to address these delicate issues, I thought most likely it would be you. Thanks in advance.
B.B., Alexandria, Va Mar 12, 2006
Answer:
Ann Martin's book "Food Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food
" (NewSage, 2003) provides many documented revelations about what goes into many, but not all, commercial cat and dog foods. No industry -- food, drug, petrochemical, etc -- is totally transparent, with the exception of most makers of organic foods and cosmetic manufacturers that clearly label products "not animal tested" and/or "no animal ingredients." Lack of transparency is often justified on the grounds of "proprietary information" -- a kind of denial that is rationalized by profit margins and market competition. This ethical corruption can be rectified only if consumers demand their right to know, and there is proper labeling of all products, more effective FDA monitoring, law enforcement and punitive fines for deliberately false and misleading claims and labeling. I do not believe that most veterinarians "are pressured by commercial pet-food manufacturers" (or drug companies) as much today as a half generation or so ago.
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