Jerry Brown Considering Repeal of "Hayden Law" Protecting Shelter Animals

[Minathebrat]

I've read some recent articles that claim that animals killed in animal shelters wind up processed up into by-product meal and then back into pet food. Apparently the big issue with this is that sodium pentobarbital, which is the drug used to euthanize animals survives the processing and cooking process and then is in pet food.

That being said, I'd love to know more about this. I've read some articles that claimed to be stating EPA sources and such, but haven't actually found anything from an official source about this one way or the other. Anybody know anything about this?

[dtran103]

I think we should tax the hell out of buying a dog or cat.

[415_s2k]

Originally Posted by dtran103

I think we should tax the hell out of buying a dog or cat.

Doing that would be a good start, if it weren't for the fact that many cats and dogs come from people who put ads up because their cat or dog unexpectedly had kittens or puppies... that's part of the problem: it's super-cheap, often free, to get a cat or dog. Just go on Craigslist, dozens if not hundreds of people are trying to get rid of what they thought would be a super-cute snuggly-wuggly bestest fwiend fowever ooooh *smooch smooch smooch* who ended up being a living creature that requires food, water, attention, and then defecates and urinates. There are way more people looking to get rid of their pets than people who are looking to take them in. We don't have the resources as a state to devote millions of dollars to housing them, especially when you consider that many of them are not rehome-able due to behavioural or health issues.

I have a friend who's obsessed with pugs, and every day or so, she puts out an alert on facebook because the LA Pug Fanatic Network or whatever they call themselves has located a pug in a shelter that has heart problems, is blind, and can barely breathe that's about to be put down. "Someone please, pleeeeeeease help this poor puggly-wuggly boy before his time runs out :'( "

No.

I don't want to pay $100 to get him out of a shelter, so I can then spend $1000/mo on his medications and another $3000 every few months for surgeries, considering that he can't walk, can't see, doesn't know what the heck is going on... nor should anyone else: nature has decided that it's time for the poor creature to die. Let it happen... Animals are not people, and while I believe in their humane treatment (and to this end, I've been a strict vegetarian for 12 years), this attitude that animals are people is misguided and does neither people nor the animals any favors.

[Ceece]

Originally Posted by Minathebrat

I've read some recent articles that claim that animals killed in animal shelters wind up processed up into by-product meal and then back into pet food. Apparently the big issue with this is that sodium pentobarbital, which is the drug used to euthanize animals survives the processing and cooking process and then is in pet food.

That being said, I'd love to know more about this. I've read some articles that claimed to be stating EPA sources and such, but haven't actually found anything from an official source about this one way or the other. Anybody know anything about this?

I read that they tested dog food for traces of dog/cat DNA and never found any. Food and Drug Administration/Center for Veterinary Medicine Report on the Risk from Pentobarbital in Dog Food (http://www.fda.gov/AboutFDA/CentersOffices/OfficeofFoods/CVM/CVMFOIAElectronicReadingRoom/ucm129131.htm - broken link)

Buuuuuuuut you don't have to believe it.

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by dtran103

I think we should tax the hell out of buying a dog or cat.

I think CA should tax the hell out of having children!