Pet Food Industry - up at 10 am CDT on radio

[Pokey Anderson]

“Ann Martin is to the pet food industry what Rachel Carson was to the petro-chemical-pesticide industry. In the same spirit of rigorous investigation, Martin has revealed what ingredients go into pet food and in the feed of most farm animals whose meat and other produce we consume.” --- Dr. Michael Fox


A friend does this radio show, Go Vegan Texas, up now.

A previous show is how I learned, years ago, way before the recalls, about the vulnerabilities of the pet food industry. I'm not sure exactly what time the segment on the pet food industry will start.

I'm also not suggesting that you will all agree with everything you hear on the show (I don't), but I suspect the pet food segment will be an eye-opener.

Show starts at 10 a.m. CDT.

You can stream live from www.kpft.org or listen in the Houston area, 90.1 FM

or go to the website within the next 60 days to get the archives.

Here is the show's press release:

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


Go Vegan Texas!
Mondays @ 10am (CST) on Pacifica Radio, KPFT-Houston, 90.1 FM


While animals die, the FDA remains silent...and
consumer confidence plummets in the commercial pet food industry
as the horrors of the rendering industry are exposed

Pet Food Recall & Return of the HomeCooked Meal


<pic> Bramble, shown in 2002, at age 27, owed his longevity to a vegan diet and exercise


<pic> Spike lived to be 31, with aloe vera gel added to his cat food the last 10 years

with our guests
(in order of appearance)

Susan Regrets
Founder-President, Cat Haven (rescue organization)

Ann Martin
author, Foods Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food
international authority on the commercial pet food industry


Terry Singeltary
Baycliff, TX

Terry's mother, Barbara Poulter, died of CJD in 1997
independent researcher on mad cow disease & slaughter house industry


and opening with a commentary on the Virginia Tech campus tragedy

“Slaughter of the Innocents”
by Shirley Wilkes Johnson
co founder, Go Vegan Texas! and today’s co host

And an UPDATE from last week’s story:


Alice, the Mother Alligator &

The Fight to Save her Life



with our guest Melanie Blake

Founder-President, Mothers for Kindness to All Animals
a Clear Lake Mom comes to the rescue of a Mama Gator



<pic> “Alice” the alligator shot just below her eye by a teenage boy
and reported by Brad Woodard on KHOU-TV




Quotes from or about today’s guests and topics:

“A warden with Texas Parks and Wildlife told me ‘I’m sick of hearing about this alligator. I want to just go out and shoot her.’
I was given two days to come up with a place to relocate her or she will be destroyed. Only 8 of her 18 babies are left. She has been harrassed and is recovering from the bow and arrow aimed at her eye by a young teenager, yet Parks and Wildlife is treating her as a public nuisance. We desperately have to get her and the remaining babies to safety.”
--- Melanie Blake, Founder-President
Mothers for Kindness to All Animals

“These pet food recalls are not a lesson in sitting idly by and passively waiting to hear that we have poisoned our pets, however inadvertently. This is a lesson in defending our beloved family members and making a change. A revolution. NOW. Not five minutes from now, not five years from now. NOW. Our loving companions cannot wait. Not one more minute. We have wasted too much time already. For every second that we don't revolt, it is one second more than our deceased brethren can afford. We need to stand up and make a change for every single animal who has died teaching us this lesson that we should already have learned. Let's not make their deaths insignificant or in vain. Let's make their deaths mean something. NOW.”
--- Susan Regrets, Founder-President
Cat Haven (rescue organization), Houston, TX


“Ann Martin is to the pet food industry what Rachel Carson was to the petro-chemical-pesticide industry. In the same spirit of rigorous investigation, Martin has revealed what ingredients go into pet food and in the feed of most farm animals whose meat and other produce we consume.” --- Dr. Michael Fox
Eating with Conscience: The Bioethics of Food

“In 1990 after the illness of my two large dogs, Louie, a Saint Bernard, and Charlie, a Newfoundland, I began to ask questions about the ingredients in commercial pet foods and the manufacturers. I quickly learned that this is a multi-billion dollar industry that operates with virtually no government regulations and in many ways is self-regulated. I also learned that there are many deplorable ingredients that legally can be used in pet foods as sources of protein—in particular, euthanized cats and dogs, diseased cattle and horses, roadkill, dead zoo animals, and meat not fit for human consumption.”
--- Ann Martin, author, Foods Pets Die For


"I wouldn't be so zealous in getting the word out if I wasn't convinced that someone is covering up the truth. They used to say BSE would never transmit to humans, and it has. They lied about the feed ban being in place. I've lost faith in the whole process. I've discovered too many things on my own."
--- Terry Singeltary
independent researcher and world authority on TSE, BSE and CJD
whose mother died of CJD in 1997 at age 63

“FELINE AND CANINE ALZHEIMER'S OR MAD CAT and MAD DOG DISEASE FROM PET FOOD ??? 1ST AND FOREMOST, WE HAVE BEEN LIED TO ABOUT THE RISK FACTORS, SURVEILLANCE, AND ERADICATION OF TSE (Transmissible Spongiform Encephalophy). TSEs, also known as prion diseases) are a group of progressive conditions that affect the brain and nervous system IN THE USA, ESPECIALLY, MAD COW DISEASE'S IN THE USA BOVINE. but this is only part of the problem. the USA has the most documented TSE i.e. mad cow disease's i.e. prion disease, in more species than any other country in the world.”
--- Terry Singeltary, quoted on

http://www.vegsource.com/talk/madcow/messages/1001334.html





Today, on Go Vegan Texas! we hold a round table discussion on the pet food recall story, with our distinguished guests:
(in order of appearance):

* Susan Regrets - Founder-President, Cat Haven (rescue organization), giving us the background and update of this most recent pet food recall

* Ann Martin, author, Foods Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food, an international authority on the commercial pet food industry

* Terry Singeltary, independent researcher on mad cow disease & slaughter house industry whose mother, Barbara Poulter, died of CJD in 1997, at the age of 63

From the Forward to Ann Martin’s book Foods Die For
by Shawn Messonnier, DVM

Ann Martin presents information that is informative, eye-opening, and groundbreaking in exposing the truth behind what’s contained in many commercially produced pet foods. While the information contained in Foods Pets Die For may appear controversial and will likely be dismissed by some, it is well-researched information.

She points out the dangers that are often present in many brands of commercial pet food and encourages you to learn more about just what’s contained in that bag or can before you feed it to your pet. In short, Ann Martin presents an answer that at times is not too pleasant to the all-important question I pose, Do you really know what your pet ate last night?

As a practicing holistic veterinarian, I am constantly amazed that diet is often the most neglected part of a pet’s health care. It’s not that most pet owners don’t want to feed their pets properly, it’s just that they think they are doing so simply because they have purchased one of the “recommended premium foods” advertised or promoted by the pet store clerk or even by their own veterinarians.

I used to believe that simply recommending a “premium” food was enough. Somehow my limited knowledge of nutrition qualified me to believe that following the advice of a pet food company and then making that food available to my clients ensured they would feed a healthy diet.

When I decided to change my focus of “treating disease” to “healing pets” and began incorporating a holistic approach at my practice, I realized that the only thing “premium” about the diets I had recommended was the price!

By learning all I could about pet nutrition and the pet food industry, I have changed my recommendation. Now I know better. As Ann Martin discusses here the best diet is a homemade one, using the freshest, most wholesome ingredients. Next best is a diet from a company that truly uses wholesome protein, fat, and carbohydrate sources in the diet, without relying on toxic chemicals and preservatives. Either choice of diet can be made even better with proper nutritional supplementation.

In my pre-veterinary studies I was an animal science major. One of my favorite classes was meat science, where my classmates and I were taught how to properly process meat for the consumer. I was quite impressed that literally nothing from the slaughtered animal carcass was ever wasted. What wasn’t wholesome for human consumption was sold to the pet food industry.

At the time, I appreciated that there was no waste in the processing plant. Now that I have learned more about pet nutrition, I’m not quite so impressed. The “waste” that ends up in our pets’ food would be better used as fertilizer. The same meats that humans eat should be used in preparing a processed food for pets. The reason many companies rely on slaughterhouse waste for raw pet food ingredients is cost: it is simply cheaper to use the trash from the slaughterhouse than whole fresh meats and organs. No thought is given to what feeding waste products might do to a pet’s health.

As a practicing veterinarian, I can honestly say that most of my clients would gladly spend a few extra dollars for their pets’ food if it was made of quality ingredients and contributed to (rather than detracted from) their pets’ health. No longer can we make cost an issue. As Ann Martin clearly explains, “If it had not been for the illness of my two dogs in 1990 I would likely still be feeding commercial pet foods, thinking I was doing what is best for my beloved pets. I would also still be paying vet bills almost on a monthly basis.”

Yes, it’s true: taking a holistic approach to pet care does usually save the pet owner money on veterinary bills. Starting with a wholesome diet is the first concern that should be addressed in any holistic pet care program.

If more people knew what is contained in many processed foods and complained to the manufacturers, my guess is that we would see more wholesome diets produced. One of my personal goals is to work with any of the “big name” pet food companies to create a holistic diet they can be proud of and owners can confidently feed to their pets. Use the information in this informative book and learn to feed your pet the best food possible. Good luck on your road to better pet health!


Shawn Messonnier, DVM
The Natural Health Bible for Dogs & Cats
Paws & Claws Animal Hospital, Plano, Texas

Thank you for listening to Go Vegan Texas! this morning with an open mind and heart,



Janice Blue

Host, Go Vegan Texas!
Every Monday @ 10am (CDT) on Pacifica Radio
KPFT-Houston, 90.1 FM and 89.5 FM-Galveston
Listen live on www.govegantexas.org <http://www.govegantexas.org/>
Or later on the KPFT Archive: http://archive.kpft.org <http://archive.kpft.org/>

Every Animal You Eat
Was Running for Her Life
-------------------------------
Show Compassion! Go Vegan!



Contact Information for Today’s Guests:
(in order of appearance)

Melanie Blake
Coordinator – March of Dimes Campaign
Society of Peace = People for the Earth, Animals, Compassion & Enlightenment
http://www.societyofpeace.org

&
President, Mothers for Kindness to All Animals
[e-mail]
or call 832.724.3308

Susan Regrets
Founder, Director, President

Cat Haven, Inc.
A No-Kill, Non-Profit 501(C)3 Cat Rescue Organization - Houston, Texas
http://www.cat-haven.org

[e-mail]

Ann Martin
author, Foods Pets Die For: Shocking Facts About Pet Food
published by New Sage Press
http://www.newsagepress.com/foodpetsdiefor.html

To order a copy of her book, contact:


NewSage Press, Inc.
PO Box 607
Troutdale, OR 97060
Phone [phone]
Fax [phone]
Toll Free 877-695-2211
Email: [e-mail]



Terry Singeltary
independent researcher and world authority on TSE (Transmissible Spongiform Encephalophy).
[e-mail]

Related Websites on Today's Topic:


The Many Faces of CJD:
http://www.fortunecity.com/healthclub/cpr/798/cjd.htm


"Everyone's experience is different so the stories are all different. If you have been personally affected by CJD please consider contributing your story to this website. In the future we also hope to include stories by people who have received medical treatments, such as cadaver-derived growth hormones for short stature, that put them at risk for CJD."


CJD Watch:
http://www.fortunecity.com/healthclub/cpr/349/part1cjd.htm


This site will be tracking Creutzfeldt - Jakob Disease (CJD) victims in the geographical areas in which they lived and died. We, both the general public and medical professionals/researchers, need to know how widespread CJD is and where there are clusters. Therefore, we hope to include all CJD cases worldwide. To do this we are asking the general public and the families of the victims to help us in this project. Our ultimate goals are for strict mandatory reporting of CJD victims in all areas and a cure for the disease Please help by sharing information about your family member, friend, or acquaintance who had or has this hideous disease. Thank you so very much.


CJD Voices: http://www.Voices.org


Brain Autopsy is vital for diagnosis and documentation of CJD. We can help.
We are a grass roots organization of individuals formed in May 1997 to support families during and after a CJD crisis. We also discuss various issues surrounding CJD and other related illnesses. As of October 1999, we have over 400 members.



Prion Surveillance Center
http://www.cjdsurveillance.com


The National Prion Disease Pathology Surveillance Center (NPDPSC) was established in 1997 at the Division of Neuropathology of Case Western Reserve University. Several European countries also have established surveillance centers to monitor the occurrence of prion diseases, or spongiform encephalopathies, in response to the epidemic of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), also known as “mad cow disease,” which occurred in the United Kingdom during the 1980s.

[Pokey Anderson]

1. Ann Martin is up now.

Expert on the commercial pet food industry.

[Pokey Anderson]

2. Sorry, the archive is not functioning.

Normally, shows on KPFT can be accessed through the KPFT Archives.

Unfortunately, the archives were down during this show.

Sorry if you tried to access it and were unable.