Ensuring the Safety of Your Animal Companion’s Food

Although the FDA and the pet-food industry have issued repeated assurances that the pet food currently on store shelves is safe, the massive pet-food recall has expanded several times since it began in late March 2007. The recall included not only products containing contaminated wheat gluten but also products containing contaminated rice protein and contaminated corn gluten.

The government and pet-food industry failures that PETA has documented throughout the pet-food recall reflect the FDA’s decision to hand pet-food regulation to a nongovernmental body with no enforcement powers. This fiasco is a disturbing example of the government’s inability to protect consumers from tainted animal flesh.

For years, PETA has warned people of the risks associated with commercial pet food. The cheap pet foods that are sold in supermarkets are often made from dead, dying, diseased, or disabled animals who were deemed unsafe for human consumption. In all but a few states, it is legal to remove unusable parts from chickens and sell them to pet-food manufacturers.

Most pet foods contain the same hormones, pesticides, and antibiotics that are found in commercial meat products from factory farms.

What You Can Do to Protect Your Entire Family

• Take your family’s health into your own hands—and kitchen! It’s easy to prepare healthy meals for your entire family—humans and animal companions alike! Check out PETA’s factsheet on healthy meatless meals for dogs and cats for tips on cruelty-free food for your animal companions. Many cruelty-free and vegetarian pet foods are also available.
• Sign up to receive e-mail alerts from PETA to get more updates and tips on humane, healthy living.
• Check out the PETA Catalog for cruelty-free treats for your animal companions.

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