We know that industrial feedlots are harmful to both livestock and the environment, so many of us try to buy meat from small scale sources. But what about your pets? Pet food is a major source of factory-farmed meat, and even worse, animal byproducts that are not fit for human consumption. Loosely defined as ‘heads, feet, bones, blood, intestines, lungs, spleens, livers, ligaments, fat trimmings, unborn babies, and other parts not generally consumed by humans,’ these byproducts can even come from ‘4D’ (dead, dying, diseased, disabled) animals. This may be why tests have found traces of a euthanasia drug in some foods.
Thankfully, there are high-quality pet foods out there that are both affordable and by-product-free. My dogs enjoy Pet Promise, which claims to be free of byproducts, antibiotics and factory-farmed meats. Plus, it doesn’t break the bank.