No Time to Waste

Signed and shared – thank you!

Signed and shared

I have shared this and will continue to share…

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.

Shared and signed.

And where the ingredients come from

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!

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!