PETA's stance on meat-free meals for cats and dogs According to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), feeding companion animals meat-based commercial pet food could in fact be jeopardizing their health.
Many vegan dogs and cats enjoy excellent health, and a vegan diet for your companion animal is ethically consistent with animal rights philosophy. Making vegetarian food for dogs is easy because dogs, like people, are omnivorous and usually hearty eaters.
The rising popularity of vegan lifestyles has led some people to consider feeding vegan diets to their pets, but recent research proves that it is unwise, if not outright cruel, to feed them a truly vegan diet.
Dogs are omnivores, which means that they eat both meat and plant products. While it is theoretically possible, the British Veterinary Association does not recommend giving a dog a vegetarian or a vegan diet as it is much easier to get the balance of essential nutrients wrong than to get it right.
Dogs prefer meat, but a vegan or vegetarian diet is possible with the right supplements. For health and ethical reasons, many vegetarian and vegan humans choose to share their dietary preferences with their dogs. In general, dogs are omnivorous.
Many vegans feel that given the existence of domesticated cats, dogs and other animals, keeping them as respected and cared for companions is preferable to any other option. The Vegan Society state, “As vegans, we should be working towards a world in which no animal is held in captivity” and this clearly includes pets.
According to veterinarian and former president of the U.S. Humane Society Dr. Michael Fox, there are two main reasons people elect to feed their dogs a vegan diet: Personal ethics (the human's) Food allergies (the dog's).
This is Bramble, a border collie from the UK, who holds the Guinness World Record for being the oldest living dog. Bramble was fed an entirely plant-based diet for her whole life.
“Being a vegan or meat-eater does not make you a better veterinarian,” she says. But she does believe animal welfare, which dovetails with animal rights, should be an integral part of the education, which can then help veterinarians decide whether a plant-based diet is best for them.
Can a Dog Have Autism? While some of these behaviors are unique to humans, researchers have found that, in fact, ASD can occur in dogs, but it's called canine dysfunctional behavior (CDB). Researchers believe that canine dysfunctional behavior is an idiopathic condition, meaning that the cause is unknown.
PETA seeks “total animal liberation,” according to its president and co-founder, Ingrid Newkirk. That means no meat or dairy, of course; but it also means no aquariums, no circuses, no hunting or fishing, no fur or leather, and no medical research using animals. PETA is even opposed to the use of seeing-eye dogs.
Some of our positions do require you to be vegan (e.g., all positions related to campaigns, fundraising and development, and media spokespeople). However, many roles do not require this. We look for compassionate people to work for the organization.
PETA uses the term “cruelty-free” to denote companies that do not test their products on animals. The purpose of our Caring Consumer Project is to persuade companies that produce cosmetics and household products to stop testing on animals.
Should vegans visit zoos? For many vegans it goes without saying that zoos represent the use of animals for entertainment, and as such they're not a place that vegans would visit or be in favour of. For others, the rescue and conservation efforts of some zoos makes the issue a little less black and white.
The short answer is no, cats can't be vegetarian or vegan. Cats are obligate carnivores which means they need meat in their diet. With the rise in plant-based diets in the UK, many have started to consider altering their pet's diet too. This can be for numerous reasons, such as environment, health or ethical reasons.
Mike Fremont sets marathon world records on a meat-free diet
The centenarian has followed a vegan diet since the age of 69. After a cancer diagnosis, doctors offered Fremont life-saving surgery. But instead, he turned to whole food plant-based nutrition to regain his health.
Commoner's dogs would be fed meager diets of bread crusts, bare-bones, potatoes, cabbage, or whatever the dog could scrounge on its own. By the 18th century, farm and hunting dogs were being fed mixed grains and lard. These useful dogs had to be healthy to do their jobs.
The diet of the earliest hominins was probably somewhat similar to the diet of modern chimpanzees: omnivorous, including large quantities of fruit, leaves, flowers, bark, insects and meat (e.g., Andrews & Martin 1991; Milton 1999; Watts 2008).
Is Meat Required? Dogs can thrive without meat, but only if they are fed a properly balanced vegetarian diet. As is true with people who prefer vegetarian diets, protein or vitamin deficiency can occur in dogs who eat strictly vegetarian diets if they are not properly supplemented.
“Dogs can eat tofu in moderation as it is not toxic to them, but it does not contain enough protein to fulfill their nutritional requirements,” explains Dr. Klein. As a result, you should not use tofu protein as a primary ingredient in your dog's diet.
Can vegans have pets? It's morally preferable to keep pets as respected companions versus the deadly risks of sending them back into the wild, euthanasia or keeping them in shelters. For these reasons, the consensus is it's okay for vegans to have pets. However, there's a lot more debate surrounding this question.
Analysis published in the journal Sustainability from University of Bath Psychology PhD student Chris Bryant suggests that 73% of meat eaters surveyed considered veganism to be 'ethical', 70% said it was good for the environment and half (50%) considered it healthy. 60% thought veganism was 'acceptable'.
PETA is an animal rights organization that opposes speciesism, and the abuse of animals in any way, such as for food, clothing, entertainment, or research.
But we are uniquely capable of choosing between cruelty and kindness, so we should never willfully inflict pain on any being—human or nonhuman. Humans have the ability to reason and make compassionate choices, so we must end the use of animals for food in favor of a humane, vegan way of eating.