Do They Really Use Dead Dogs and Cats to Make Pet Food?

Mike Sagman

By

Mike Sagman
Mike Sagman

Mike Sagman

Founder

Dr Mike Sagman is the creator of the Dog Food Advisor. He founded the website in 2008, after his unquestioning trust in commercial dog food led to the tragic death of his dog Penny.

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Updated: September 27, 2023

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The pet food industry has denied the rumors for years. Yet the reports just keep coming. They claim a number of companies continue to use euthanized pets to make dog food.

Sound impossible? Watch this short video and decide for yourself.

Unfortunately, there’s no date attached to this video. However, our research found Hersch Pendell was president of the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) in 1998.

So, we must assume that year to be the approximate time of this interview.

In any case, the actual words spoken by the president of the pet food regulatory association are especially chilling.

And we’re still unable to locate any current regulation forbidding the use of euthanized pets in commercial dog food.

How to Avoid Products with the Highest Risk
of Containing Euthanized Pets

To avoid choosing a dog food that might contain dead cats and dogs, there’s only one way to minimize the risk…

Never buy any product made with an anonymous animal ingredient

By anonymous, we’re referring to meat-based ingredients that do not specify the source animal. They use vague terms like “meat meal” rather than more specific words like “chicken meal” to describe their components.

According to the pet food industry, meat can come from virtually any mammal1.

So, generic meat meal can be legally made from road kill, dead, diseased or dying farm animals — even euthanized cats and dogs.

Final word

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Sources

1: Official Publication, American Association of Feed Control Officials, 2008 Edition, Section 9.3, p. 259

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