Not Fit for a Dog
Many of us with pets grab the first bag of dog or cat food we see at the store and leave it at that.
But that will probably change after you read this story.
WAFB's Jim Shannon found a man who says some pet food could actually contain small traces of dead animals that have been euthanized and later end up in your pet's dinner bowl. It's dinner, not fit for a dog.
You see the trusting eyes of your pet as he or she digs in for mealtime. What's in that food? Should you be a little more concerned next time you call your pet for dinner?
Dr. Bill Savran runs a website called petfoodexposed.com and says, in some cases, you need to be very cautious about what's in your pet food.
Dr. Savran says, "In my research, I found out that the main ingredient in pet foods is other pets...dogs and cats and that is the main ingredient in it."
Savran says some meat rendering plants actually process euthanized or dead animals. Their carcasses are literally boiled down until nothing remains but proteins. The Louisiana Department of Agriculture has oversight on pet foods in Louisiana. We brought our concerns to Commissioner Bob Odom.
Odom says, "We'll check it for fat protein and fiber and that's our responsibility that every food has to be proper fat protein and fiber in it. And, if the product is unsafe, that's something that food and drug needs to check up on."
So, we checked with the United States Food and Drug Administration.
In response to this story, the Food and Drug Administration says, "The FDA regulates pet foods according to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. The FDA does not have any restrictions on what types of animal proteins go into pet food."
And that, says Dr. Savran, is the loophole pet food manufacturers use to buy cheap meat byproducts, using dead cats and dogs.
Dr. Savran says, "What a rendering plant is is they take all the parts and drippings that came off of chickens and different things and they sell them to pet food people."
Dr. Robert Beine says, "I think overall the quality of the pet food sold in the state of Louisiana is excellent."
Dr. Robert Beine is the Louisiana pet food czar. He operates a joint venture between the LSU Ag Center and the Louisiana Department of Agriculture. They test more then 800 pet foods and chews a year.
Dr. Beine says, "Obviously, if we find a problem, yes, we will take action. But I think by and large, the problem is not in the commission of sin, if you will."
Beine says the first few ingredients in any pet food are the major ingredients. The more by products listed means the less specific the material in the food.
Dr. Savran stops short of naming what pet foods he would recommend. He also asks pet owners to purchase his "report." Yet, he claims that all of his research and information is sold "at cost." You can visit Dr. Savran's website at http://petfoodexposed.com.
Reporter: Jim Shannon, WAFB 9News
