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Pet Food Regulations

No Time to Waste

We have 27 days to obtain 95,000 signatures. If we can pull this off, we’ll get something huge in return.

We have 27 days to obtain 95,000 signatures. If we can pull this off, we’ll get something huge in return. The administration of U.S. government – for the very first time – will have to give pet food consumers a statement on why FDA allows pet food to violate law.

Pet food consumers have been ignored – on so many things with pet food and pet treats. Not one pet food regulation has changed to prevent another 2007 deadly recall. In 8 years of FDA investigation, the agency continues to be dumbfounded by Chinese jerky treats.

We ask for answers, but we don’t get answers. We get dismissed. Time and time again.

But right now – there is one answer we will be provided – if we rally (within the next 27 days).

We’ve asked the U.S. government administration – via a Whitehouse.gov petition – to require pet food to declare quality of ingredients. The FDA openly allows pet food to violate federal food safety law. Day after day, year after year – the pet food industry has been given personal permission from the FDA to use the most hideous waste imaginable and sell it to consumers as ‘pet food’ – without consumer knowledge.

We pet food consumers have screamed and yelled – and no one has heard us (or cared enough to listen). But right now – we have 27 very significant days left to finally force the administration of the U.S. government to hear us and to require a response.

On the Whitehouse.gov petition – if we reach 100,000 signatures within 30 days (deadline – July 5th, 2015) – it is required for the government to provide us with a response. Can you imagine?

Will the administration admit this is a terrible error and pet food consumers deserve to clearly know what they are buying? Or will the administration act in defense of FDA and give us a non-answer response? Aren’t you just a little bit curious of what they will say?

Don’t we deserve to know what they’ll say? Yes – we do.

The only way we’ll know is to reach 100,000 signatures by July 5th.

I know we can do this. We deserve this. All pet food consumers deserve to know what they are purchasing.

Maybe…just maybe, the response we get will finally be a leg to stand on to make significant changes in pet food a reality. We won’t know unless we show them we want this. It’s up to all of you.

Please share and share and share the links to both petitions. Most importantly, please share the Whitehouse.gov petition link immediately – far and wide.

Whitehouse.gov petition, we need 100,000 signatures by July 5, 2015. https://petitions.whitehouse.gov//petition/require-pet-food-manufacturers-disclose-quality-ingredients
Change.org petition, will not close until end of July. https://www.change.org/p/fda-and-aafco-require-pet-food-manufacturers-to-disclose-quality-of-ingredients?just_created=true

 

 

Fingers crossed.

 

Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food

34 Comments

34 Comments

  1. Sherry stone

    June 8, 2015 at 2:18 pm

    People need to, and have the right to, know what they are putting into their pets bodies

  2. Trish Whitley

    June 8, 2015 at 2:24 pm

    Signed and shared – thank you!

  3. R.Grimm

    June 8, 2015 at 2:58 pm

    Dear Every Single Past/Present/Furture Pet Owner in America,

    Hear me now! We need to ban together and move forward with this. Why? Because those pets that you have that love you unconditionally, need help. Because life no matter how small should be given food and treats that won’t hurt them. You love your furkids, feathered and hooved. They do everything to please you (from herding cattle, aiding with disabilities, or protecting your home) and forever love you with each flaw and perfection.

    What if one day, they get sick from a bone you bought at walmart? Or perhaps they start puking up blood and have diarrhea because of bad dog food? How terrible it would feel to know that the injury to your pet was PREVENTABLE… If only a small step was made to insure quality with the manufacturer.

    You deserve to have a healthy furever kid and they deserve to be happy. Stand up with me. Let us work together. Let us demand change and encourage happy, long and loving lives for our pets. Sign, share and don’t ever let someone tell you that your pet is second to profit. Thank you. -RGrimm

    • Sage

      June 8, 2015 at 4:02 pm

      To RGrimm
      WOW – so well said.

  4. Dianne

    June 8, 2015 at 3:04 pm

    Does this petition need to be signed by Americans only, or can Canadians lend their support.

    • Susan Thixton

      June 8, 2015 at 3:26 pm

      Hi Diane – yes, the Whitehouse.gov petition is just for U.S. citizens – but all can sign the Change.org.

    • deborah haynes

      June 8, 2015 at 4:54 pm

      Extremely important

  5. Sydney

    June 8, 2015 at 3:06 pm

    I would gladly sign if you would clearly post links to the petitions!

  6. Amy M. Camarda

    June 8, 2015 at 3:07 pm

    Signed and shared

  7. John Royal

    June 8, 2015 at 3:07 pm

    It’s time the pet foor manufacturers be held accountable for their actions.

  8. Ellen

    June 8, 2015 at 3:19 pm

    I have shared this and will continue to share…

  9. Kari Maltzman

    June 8, 2015 at 3:25 pm

    No brainer.

  10. Jo

    June 8, 2015 at 3:28 pm

    I and my husband signed the government petition. However, after reading the government’s responses to many other petitions that secured an ample number of signatures, I personally don’t think this is going to benefit our cause. I think we are simply going to get a response that represents the usual FDA party line. I dont think any action will be taken on their part, except for a few folks gathering to compose a “canned” response. I would love to be wrong, but I would put (a lot) of money on my being right.

    Sorry to be a Debbie Downer. But I SO applaud Susan’s efforts and commitment to attack the issues from every angle. We are in this together and must help her fight.

    • We Care!

      June 8, 2015 at 4:00 pm

      We can be “optimists” or not but let’s keep the positive thinking in the mind of others. Signing a petition won’t hurt, right … so let’s just do it.

      Here’s the thing. 100,000 signatures is visibility! It means people are at least aware of what’s going on. That they know there’s even a difference! Who knew even 2 years ago? It means aware people are prepared to make the RIGHT choice now about what PF to buy. They will be THINKING about those ingredients at least, and asking questions.

      The PFI isn’t stupid. If 100,000 people spend just $30 a month, that’s already $3 million, but if people could be assured of a higher quality product then they might spend $60. So how could they be assured? With just 2 simple words! This is Pet FOOD. Pretty easy way to make another $3 million dollars huh. Cha’ching!

      Please everyone SIGN that Whitehouse.gov petition sooner rather than later!!!!! This campaign benefits everyone!

      More importantly those signatures enhance Susan’s credibility when she meets with AAFCO and the FDA. It PROVES she is speaking on behalf of an Association. And this is a group with the power of social networking with many more people.

  11. Tara Keating

    June 8, 2015 at 3:34 pm

    This needs to happen!!! I have a Facebook page. Dogs and cats affected by Costco food. Come join our page.

  12. Kelley

    June 8, 2015 at 3:40 pm

    You can thank the TAPF for COUNTLESS hours of incredible information by signing this Whitehouse.gov PETITION and by asking everybody else to do the same. We NEED 95,000 signatures. We raised nearly $16,000 for PF Testing so signatures should be a slam-dunk. But we’ve got be organized!!!!!!!!

    It’s very simple for the people you talk to. Sign the Petition at Whitehouse.gov to tell the FDA and AAFCO that commercial PF (no matter the style or brand) must be labeled as FEED grade (meaning ingredients that could include inedible, waste and diseased) or FOOD grade (human edible).

    If YOU can ask 10 people to sign and for them to ask another 10, that’s 10,000! But please report back to the website about how many signatures you can take credit for so progress can be tracked before the deadline!

    When Susan walks into those meetings with AAFCO and the FDA think of the clout she’ll have by handing over a petition with 100,000 signatures! It will boggle their mind because those signatures MEAN purchasing dollars to the PFI. They mean that YOU know the difference now. And they can’t keep on selling you carp undisclosed.

    This petition won’t cost a dime, maybe only a little time. Be creative, don’t just “hope” pepole will see it and get around to it “some time.” Ask them if they HAVE signed!!! The clock is ticking. Circulate through breed, activity, hobby clubs and rescue organizations. Ask neighbors, dog walkers, pet sitters, trainers, park goers, any pet enthusiast! Ask at Vet Clinics. Leave a Flyer. Ask at reputable Pet Supply stores. Make a Laptop available to get them to sign on the spot. Set-up under a canopy in a public area near Big-Box stores! Can signatures be accomplished via a Smart Phone or Mobile Device connection (?) Remind every person you speak with to ask others! And follow-up. That’s the real secret to a successful campaign.

    Hand people a simple reminder: “PLEASE Sign the Petition at Whitehouse.gov to label ingredients as Pet Feed (inedible, waste, diseased) or Pet Food (human edible).”

    PF Consumers (but more importantly) your pets DESERVE to have a choice about what they eat!

  13. Brenda Hickernell

    June 8, 2015 at 3:42 pm

    Hoping the government realizes the people who love their pets in this country want the truth about their pets food.

  14. Lynne Fowler

    June 8, 2015 at 4:13 pm

    Signed both.
    But isn’t it pretty sad we have to do this?

  15. Laurie Matson

    June 8, 2015 at 4:56 pm

    I would LOVE to Know what the Obama’s two Dogs are fed!! As well as big Pet Feeds Corporate people feed their pets!! I bet they don’t feed this crap to their Dogs and Cats!!!

  16. .... and counting!

    June 8, 2015 at 5:46 pm

    Congratulations there are already 1,175 signatures now! Let’s see if that number can be doubled??

  17. Cyndi Robinson

    June 8, 2015 at 6:17 pm

    I will sign the petition but for some reason I am never able to share your posts to facebook. This is really frustrating because you have so much valid information Id like to get out there. Not sure why they wont post. I have problems with anything that is given to me outside of face book. If Im on facebook I can share things no problem but almost anything else wont post 🙁

  18. Eve Prussner

    June 8, 2015 at 6:20 pm

    I lost four pets to toxic pet food. If they have to state where the ingredients come from, they will be less able to use toxic ingredients. Our pets will have at least some chance of surviving.
    The despicable behavior of the pet food companies, and the FDA, who protects them, and allows them to continue to sell toxic products that kill our pets, have no more credibility in our eyes.

  19. Kent Petersime

    June 8, 2015 at 6:32 pm

    Please keep this going so we can begin the slow process of educating the population as to what is being put in those colorful, false lable, boxes, bags & cans of so called nutririous pet food..

  20. Barbara Leo

    June 8, 2015 at 6:43 pm

    So…where do we sign the petition????????

  21. Selene

    June 8, 2015 at 11:15 pm

    Signed an shared.

  22. Selene Cochran

    June 8, 2015 at 11:16 pm

    Shared and signed.

  23. Mary Leiter

    June 9, 2015 at 12:32 am

    I would love to see manufacturers post a label on there products listing the ingredients in their products. This would be very helpful knowing Im giving my pet the best nutritional product available. Not garbage!

  24. Lisa Counts

    June 9, 2015 at 12:55 pm

    And where the ingredients come from

  25. John

    June 9, 2015 at 2:01 pm

    it would be sad if there isn’t enough signatures proving how very little people know about these issues

  26. .... and counting!

    June 9, 2015 at 5:20 pm

    There are 26 days left. Will 2,000 signatures happen by the end of Tuesday? If you’re reading this question, then this comment is “preaching to the choir” because you’ve already done your part. But if WE don’t lead the way then who will? One way to quickly multiply signatures is by asking a FAMILY (of voting age) members to sign!

    (1) Okay, the second big worry might be what if this regulation increases the price of PF? Got’cha covered on that one! (A) Here’s the first answer. This is about labeling, not re-tooling. For example a non-GMO label is put on certain bags of Corn Chips. But that doesn’t mean Frito-Lay is changing how they make Doritos or what they will cost. Or that any other product in there line is changing o going for a price increase! It’s only about identification.

    (2) The second answer is more subtle. The PFI isn’t stupid either. Pet Owner mentality is a given for them. Big-Box, Warehouse Consumers are thrift conscious and bargain driven (I wish we could say value minded as well). Anyway those stores will always be there to serve them. Manufactures make specific products in order to permit those discounts. But even these stores are now including a new cache. See all the “organic” products being added to Costco and Walmart? And those “limited” ingredient PF products to Pet Supply stores? The more choices being offered to people, the larger the market place grows to capture a wider range of sales! Expansion is good!

    (3) Now the real obstacle to overcome with people is “denial.” Most people don’t believe that what is made FOR pets could be anything but good FOR pets. It’s beyond their comprehension. But that’s because they haven’t thought through the rational. As TAPF Followers here, we take a lot for granted because it’s about exposure to information and re-training as we experience good results! But everyone outside who you are trying to inform does not have that background at all! So they need OUR help!

    Okay so this is where a little effort on our part really does come into play. I will tell you that any Leader of a significant effort needs to be encouraged AND supported, because we don’t ever want that PF Advocacy to stop! If it disappeared we would feel horrible. And our pets would suffer. So we have to make a really big difference NOW!

    How? Consider this narrative in order to help other consumers really understand:

    How tough is it to feed a family on only $1 dollar per pound of food. Think about how you would do that, probably a lotta time at Farmer’s Markets, bargain meat counters, raising your own food, using starches and fillers for meal extensions. Because how many groceries can you buy anymore for under a couple of dollars apiece? A big jar of peanut butter and a loaf of bread is almost $10 (in Calif.). Even if you could eat the same sandwich everyday for 10 days (a dollar a meal) that isn’t even a POUND of food and certainly NOT your ration for the day. Throw in a jar of vitamins and how would you feel if that was your ONLY meal for 6 months even though you might still be walking around?

    Now think about what’s involved in manufacturing a bag of PF. There is sourcing, transportation, storage, automation, labor, facilities, permits, utilities, packaging, distribution AND advertising! That’s a lot of overhead based on a return of ONLY $1 per pound of food. Yet there is plenty of profit in the PFI (over a billion dollars annually) and plenty of satisfied shareholders. So how do they do that?!?

    (4) The answer is – the PFI sells a “glamorous” product which is LIVESTOCK grade feed. But they make you THINK you’re feeding a pet like FAMILY when you are not. Not only is that “Deceit in Advertising” it isn’t fair to truthful companies and to the consumers who are willing to pay for a different kind of product. The PFI is one of the very, very few exempted from “Truth in Advertising” and they are making YOU the consumer pay for it! THEY ARE CERTAINLY COUNTING ON THE GENERAL CONSUMER’S APATHY!

    (5) So what’s the problem here – LIVESTOCK grade feed is MINIMAL nutrition for short term animal management (because in agri-business “livestock” never dies of old age) which is manufactured using the lowest possible common denominators. It is built on volume purchasing and mass production, but not particularly on quality control and specialization. (6) Okay so somebody had fed “Purina” (but remember the original Ralston-Purina was resold several times) for the last 50 years of owning pets. They all look great. They’ve hung in there. Most dogs die of cancer anyway, right? (About 50% do). But if your pets lasted even as long as they did, think how much better they could’ve been if they were supported by uncompromised nutrition? Less trips to the Vet, fewer physical problems, LONGER lifespan and a more comfortable aging process hopefully.

    If you’re feeding “whole” foods to your family then ask what does a bag of apples cost even at half or quarter price. If it goes that low then it’s no longer fit for Retail sale and it’s in a process of decay and spoilage. Well there is NO regulation on the lead time from the receipt of PF ingredients to processing them. While they must be “processed” inside a clean and sanitary facility, there is no regulation on how they are transported (climate controlled), or are managed in interim storage (meaning the holding place could be exposed to toxins, cleaning agents, pest management controls). We already know using the lowest quality grains that are maintained under the worst of conditions leads to Mycotoxins, and that is a real, demonstrated threat to pet health. In the end the manufacturer isn’t concerned because whatever goes into the food is artificially (corrected) and augmented, cooked and extruded to “neutralize” (erase) most deficits.

    (7) So maybe using a few rotten carrots doesn’t seem so bad? How about using the extraction (juice or pulp) of rotting carrot PEELS and fragments, but making you think you’re paying for whole carrots. Multiply that by many different ingredients. Junk protein is delivered by the rendering plant per allocation, but do you think it’s all being sorted out, identified and tested BEFORE cooking (at only $1 per pound)? Extremely limited DNA species testing already shows the presence of (or absence of) multiple meat protein in products not so labeled. How much deficient meat is being replaced by protein FILLER? This would be like serving a bowl of creamed corn, Cream-of-Wheat mush, some soybeans, meat fat flavoring, with powdered vitamins, then drying it out in the oven, and calling it a WHOLE and BALANCED meal!

    (8) So why ARE people in denial? Because extruded GOOP dried out into little kibble shapes, colored, flavored and packaged so ATTRACTIVELY is what people “want” to feed. But only because of the advertising. So if they really “want” to feed GOOD food, then why wouldn’t they “want” to know the difference between pet FOOD and pet (livestock) feed? It just doesn’t make sense not to have that choice!

    Let’s give everyone the opportunity to make the best decision that works for them! This is NOT about price increase or eliminating anybody’s choice at all. This is about PROTECTING your right to do what’s best in your mind and for YOUR pet!

    Please ask at least 1 more person to sign the petition today (;>). We CAN do this!

  27. Dante Corso

    June 12, 2015 at 2:21 pm

    We lost one dog and almost lost another due to the Chinese Scourge of 2007. Our lab cannot eat anything with chicken or she starts to develop hot spots, heavy panting and paws break out as a result of that lapse. The present trade agreement will bypass many safeguards and afraid labeling will be one of them. Use of euthanized animal corpses may end up as ‘meat byproducts’. No way to tell what ground up chicken parts are in the food until an unfortunate trip to the vet. The little guys can’t control – that’s our job. And the FDA can knit-pick everything else to death, so why not add another to the roster?

  28. Deb

    June 14, 2015 at 4:50 pm

    Please, Federal Government, do something about our pet foods for the sake and safety of all our pets in this country! Require truthfulness to be revealed instead of anybody’s pet dying from eating pet food that was deceptive in not declaring the truth about the lack of quality in the pet food!

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Human Grade & Feed Grade
Do you know what the differences are between Feed Grade and Human Grade pet food? Click Here.

 

The Regulations
Pet Food is regulated by federal and state authorities. Unfortunately, authorities ignore many safety laws. Click Here to learn more about the failures of the U.S. pet food regulatory system.

 

The Many Styles of Pet Food
An overview of the categories, styles, legal requirements and recall data of commercial pet food in the U.S. Click Here.

 

The Ingredients
Did you know that all pet food ingredients have a separate definition than the same ingredient in human food? Click Here.

Click Here for definitions of animal protein ingredients.

Click Here to calculate carbohydrate percentage in your pet’s food.

 

Sick Pet Caused by a Pet Food?

If your pet has become sick or has died you believe is linked to a pet food, it is important to report the issue to FDA and your State Department of Agriculture.

Save all pet food – do not return it for a refund.

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