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The Truth about Why Dead/Diseased Animals goes to Pet Food

The real reason dead, decomposing animals are dumped into pet food: the material is too dangerous to landfill. The FDA has decided pets are living landfills, the best place to dispose of dangerous animal material.

The real reason dead, decomposing animals are dumped into pet food: the material is too dangerous to landfill. The FDA has decided pets are living landfills, the best place to dispose of dangerous animal material.

In a recent meeting with FDA, the agency stated some haunting things. One: when FDA was asked directly… if the agency will continue to ignore law allowing (illegal) diseased, dead animals to become pet food ingredients after certain risk was discussed (endotoxins) – the agency said…

“We’re going to allow animals that have died other than by slaughter that are further processed; we will allow those ingredients in pet food. But hopefully people would not use that protein in a raw pet food diet.”

In the same meeting when FDA was questioned about the massive amounts of dead/diseased livestock being sent to pet food, the agency stated: “So 3 billion plus animals should go to landfills?”

Here’s the truth to why FDA ignores federal law and allows “3 billion plus animals” (dead livestock, road kill, euthanized animals) a year into pet food instead of landfills…

Colorado government website states disposal of dead animals “must be managed in a manner that prevents the spread of infection and contamination of soil and ground water.”

Texas states: “Animal carcasses must be handled properly to prevent harm to people, herds, flocks, water, and the overall environment. Several problems can arise if dead livestock and poultry are disposed of improperly:

  • Diseases can be spread to people and animals.
  • Carcass fluids can leach into and pollute groundwater (wells).
  • Bacteria and viruses can be transmitted to surface water (creeks, ponds, lakes, or rivers).
  • Obnoxious gases and odors can be emitted to the atmosphere.”

Michigan has specific laws regarding the disposal of dead animals: “The Bodies of Dead Animals Act, establishes guidelines for the proper disposal of dead animals, to protect human, animal and environmental health.”

If you do a Google search for “landfill animal carcasses” you find page after page after page of state regulations discussing the risks (and requirements) to disposal of dead animal carcasses.

It boils down to this…dead/diseased animal carcasses must be disposed of safely. Animals can be buried, but this has to be done properly and is close to impossible on modern feed lot farming operations, some with high animal mortality rates. Dead/diseased animals can be incinerated, but this method is a significant expense to the farmer.

Rendering dead/diseased animals is a safe method of disposal. BUT ONLY for disposal. Rendered dead/diseased animals are a certain risk for high levels of endotoxins and a certain risk to pets consuming those materials in a pet food (as stated by USDA).

In our meeting, when we pushed FDA to enforce existing law the agency stated “So 3 billion plus animals should go to landfills?”

My initial response was “So you want pets become living landfills?” After the meeting, as I learned more, this is exactly what is happening. Pets have become living landfills for material that is too dangerous to ground landfill and too much of an expense to farmers to dispose of properly/safely.

FDA has chosen – without remorse – to allow pets to consume dangerous, illegal pet foods. FDA has chosen pets to be living landfills. All pet food consumers deserve to know which pet foods/treats contain dangerous, illegal ingredients. A pet food/treat warning label is required.

LivingLandfill

 

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

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

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32 Comments

32 Comments

  1. Barb

    March 25, 2016 at 1:28 pm

    OMG. Even when the facts are clearly brought to life, the FDA’s blatant ignorance and disregard for our pets continues to astound me. This truth needs to be told and actually shouted from the mountaintops! Thank you for all that you do, Susan, tirelessly, to help our beloved pets.

    • Anthony Hepton

      March 25, 2016 at 8:55 pm

      There was no ignorance in the decision by FDA regarding their decision to disregard their own regulations. They know that their decisions will allow the continued use of adulterated products by the pet food industry as cheap sources of fats and proteins.. In the meantime the manufacturers continue to claim that their ingredients are allowed by FDA to be used without question. There is a requirement that the MANUFACTURERS turn out a safe product and to have data, available to the public, showing that the ingredients they use are safe. I want to see their data on endotoxins which USDA claims cause disease. I have been refused any technical discussions on this topic by Nestle Purina PetCare representatives.

      • Leslie

        August 10, 2018 at 4:54 pm

        Get a copy of the DVD dead pets don’t lie off of Skywatch TV it was put out by some scientists some dog trainers and and a vet who producedthat even that’ll make you get sicker ….but you must know the truth. It was also programmed on the Discovery Channel I think a couple years ago.

    • Teresa Johnson

      March 26, 2016 at 2:49 pm

      I think not so much IGNORANCE as ARROGANCE. “We are the government and above our own rules.” I’ve seen it too many times at all levels of government. sigh

      • Anthony Hepton

        March 26, 2016 at 7:22 pm

        Teresa, You are right, their attitude was, “So what! You don’t like our decision but we are sticking with it, what are you going to do about that?” Well we are going public with their attitude and their support of the manufactures who use FDA’s position to push onto the public their adulterated and dangerous products. There are a number of TV stations interested in an expose of the collusion between FDA and the pet food industry and after such an arrogant refusal by FDA to consider the concerns of the consuming public, we are ready to expose this alliance.

        • ACH

          March 26, 2016 at 7:31 pm

          One to try is Jane Velez-Mitchell…she’s a great advocate for animals…

  2. lili

    March 25, 2016 at 1:32 pm

    Pet food has always been a brilliant way for food processors to dispose of garbage.

    I would guess this is also why pet food manufacturers will subsidize dog/cat rescue groups. They want as many people as possible to be able to afford to adopt a pet, so that every home will have living garbage cans that will buy commercial pet food. If Big Pet Food was smart, they would start subsidizing basic veterinary care, too, so that people would adopt even more living land fills.

  3. ACH

    March 25, 2016 at 1:44 pm

    This is horrible…so when they put euthanized pets in food, how is it being labeled???

  4. Karyn Zoldan

    March 25, 2016 at 1:46 pm

    Racing greyhounds are fed RAW dead, dying, diseased, disabled animals mixed with a bit of charcoal. The FDA does not condone it but when has the greedy dog racing industry cared about greyhound welfare?

  5. Anthony Hepton

    March 25, 2016 at 1:48 pm

    There is another alternative, that is to use the “Meat and Bone Meal’ as FERTILIZER. This is practiced in Europe and the UK, when the animal carcasses and other animal material that is potentially contaminated and does not meet the regulatory requirements as a pet food ingredients, in our case because the animals died by means other than slaughter. The rendering will reduce or eliminate harmful bacteria and the resulting “Meat and Bone Meal” when applied to the soil will be safely broken down providing nutrients than would meet the criteria of “Organic”. The “Animal Fat” can be used for industrial purposes, but not as pet food. We can let the other animal feed users decide if the want to continue using these adulterated ingredients, be we do not want them being used to feed the millions of pets whose owners are often totally unaware of their dangers.

  6. Sherrie Ashenbremer

    March 25, 2016 at 1:50 pm

    Maybe some of your aren’t old enough to remember this, but sometime’s Senior Citizens and very poor people eat dog food. What does the FDA say about that? Has that ever been brought to their attention? I remember when I was a kid, time were hard, senior would eat dog food, figuring it had protein to sustain them, so that they had more money for medicine. I bet that may still be going on, some where. How about taking a case of Purina to their Grandma????

  7. Diane R.

    March 25, 2016 at 1:59 pm

    This just makes me so sick. Who can we send this info to in re to government higher ups?

    The FDA is useless. Would it do any good to contact our own state governors, congressmen or legislators? I believe if it weren’t for you Susan, we the people would never know about this insane practice. Thanks for all you do!

    • Susan Thixton

      March 25, 2016 at 2:17 pm

      Media – we need media attention to this issue. Then perhaps the government will listen.

      • Sherrie Ashenbremer

        March 25, 2016 at 3:52 pm

        I think if more people knew this, it would get attention to the government. You would be surprised at how many people think foods like Pedigree and Purina have real meat.

        • Susan Thixton

          March 25, 2016 at 4:06 pm

          I completely agree Sherrie!

      • Batzion

        March 25, 2016 at 5:16 pm

        Susan, have you considered getting a media relations person or company to get this info out? You and Truth About Pet Food should be all over the media, the internet, everywhere. If the public becomes aware of these nightmares, I can envision class action lawsuits as far as the eye can see.

      • Betsy

        March 27, 2016 at 8:31 am

        I agree! Why is the information not taken to the media?

  8. Cyndy Witzke

    March 25, 2016 at 4:19 pm

    Is there any way to know which pet food companies are using dead and decomposing animals? Or can I assume my 5-star, A+ dog food is safe?

    • Susan Thixton

      March 25, 2016 at 4:25 pm

      There is no way to know for certain if any pet food using one of these ingredients is sourcing from dead/diseased animals. The most likely pet food ingredients that would contain/could contain a dead/diseased livestock animal is meat and bone meal, meat meal, animal digest and animal fat. Also Chicken or Poultry by products and by product meal are a risk ingredient. And Beef Meal and Lamb Meal also. None of these ingredients have the legal requirement to be sourced from a slaughtered animal (they are allowed to be sourced from dead/non-slaughtered animals).

    • ACH

      March 25, 2016 at 4:26 pm

      Excellent question…I’ve never seen a label that indicates it, for obvious reasons…and also if euthanized pets are in a food, how would that be labeled???

      • Susan Thixton

        March 25, 2016 at 4:31 pm

        A euthanized pet or euthanized laboratory animals (yes, that happens too) would become the ingredients meat and bone meal, animal fat and animal digest.

  9. Kathryn

    March 25, 2016 at 4:42 pm

    If they feel that proper rendering methods make it safe for animals (non humans), then with so many humans starving to death, suffering from malnutrition world wide…why not make that animal protein available to all food manufacturers to be added to processed, ready to eat products for hymns???

  10. Mimi

    March 25, 2016 at 5:06 pm

    I wish I could find the news clip of a dog coming back to life after being euthanized because couldn’t walk or something like that. The man wrapped the dog after vet euthanized it and placed it in the garage to bury the next day. When he went to get the dog to bury it was alive. I’m assuming the food he fed the dog had phenobarbital in it from euthanized animals and phenobarbital is not rendered out of the “meat” product so this dog was immune when given the injection. Can you imagine how many dogs are buried alive? Sick!

  11. Rebecca Drake

    March 26, 2016 at 2:44 am

    So what is this labeled as in pet food? Is it all store bought food then? Is our only option to put our animals on a raw or homemade diet? I appreciate this information hit some additional guidance would be helpful too. Where do we go from here?

  12. Betsy

    March 27, 2016 at 8:53 am

    Susan, is there a particular reason why the media is not involved in this information?

    • Susan Thixton

      March 27, 2016 at 9:34 am

      Thus far, the media hasn’t reported on this. My guess would be because of advertisers. The companies that utilize illegal ingredients are big advertisers. I’d be willing to provide every bit of evidence with any media – but…no one thus far has been willing to take this on. I hope that changes.

    • Anthony Hepton

      March 29, 2016 at 4:45 pm

      There is an obvious reason why some in the media will not touch this subject, they get money, lots of it, from advertising the very products we are putting into question. They choose not to bite the hand that feeds them. It would be nice to have an inside look at how the media decides which stories they choose or reject based on their clients. Not many news outlets will even respond to a request for consideration, but we are working all aspects of this approach, because eventually, the public has a right to know.

  13. Lori

    March 28, 2016 at 12:01 pm

    I now make my own pet food for my dog and cats. I can no longer trust any of the pet food companies.
    I am sick and tired of the greedy bastards that are growing stronger in this country in the pet food industry as well as many other businesses. WE all must work hard together to try and defeat the greedy bastards.

  14. Andrea

    March 31, 2016 at 7:58 pm

    It seems the arrogance of the FDA knows no bounds. They are just as guilty as big pet food. It sickens me to know they don’t give a s*** that they (both the FDA and big pet food) killed my and so many others’ pets!

  15. Nancy

    April 20, 2016 at 8:08 pm

    What about starting a fight against the FDA on Change.org and/or Facebook?

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