Animal Advocacy Animal Advocacy Fakers

[Everleigh]

I just recently became more aware of how many people there out there who claim to support animal rights for dogs and cats but not care that cows,chickens,pigs,turkeys and ducks suffer every day.How can people not make the connection that all creatures have a right to live and be free from abuse and fear whether they are a dog or a cow?

My question is what do you think about these so called animal advocacy supporters?

 

[Nightshade]

They aren't animal advocates if they cherry pick the species they support. That's like calling yourself a veg*n but continuing to eat fish & chicken. With that said, most omnis have a disconnect about their food supply. They cheerfully buy into the 'happy cows' nonsense and probably don't think at all about where the neatly shrink wrapped meat in the market originated from.

 

[Amy SF]

It's also cultural. We are taught from birth that some animals are strictly companion animals and it's taboo to eat them, and that other animals are strictly food animals and it's not only okay to eat them but also an imperative from a health standpoint, a religious standpoint, etc. Many cultural and religious beliefs and rites center around certain foods, so that telling your family (and other people) that you won't eat turkey at Thanksgiving, ham at Christmas and lamb at Easter is akin to announcing that you're unpatriotic and an apostate. And even worse, that you're the black sheep in the family and will bring them shame if you don't eat the foods they eat. (If you want a specific example, Nia Vardalos, who wrote and starred in the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, has said she was vegetarian for a while, but gave it up because OMG her Greek family.)

 

[Mischief]

They're still animal advocates, but just for a very limited number of species. If it makes you happier, just think of them as cat advocates, or dog advocates, or whatever specie(s) they happen to care about.

 

[Everleigh]

I'm acquainted with this person who is a chef who cooks for animals and she feeds tons of beef,fish,chicken,pigs to dogs.Sometimes raw as she says that's a good diet for them.It's appalling to me.I just can't understand it.I think though she is really trying to help dogs as she's rescued quite a few and she sells things and gives the proceeds to organizations that help them.She also volunteers at local shelters.

But I am failing to comprehend how she can be so into the health and happiness of some animals and not care that she is murdering a lot of other species to help one particular group of animals.

 

[Mischief]

I'm acquainted with this person who is a chef who cooks for animals and she feeds tons of beef,fish,chicken,pigs to dogs.Sometimes raw as she says that's a good diet for them.It's appalling to me.I just can't understand it.I think though she is really trying to help dogs as she's rescued quite a few and she sells things and gives the proceeds to organizations that help them.She also volunteers at local shelters.

But I am failing to comprehend how she can be so into the health and happiness of some animals and not care that she is murdering a lot of other species to help one particular group of animals.

That's an issue for all of us who live with carnivorous companion animals or work rescuing/rehabilitating carnivorous animals.

 

[Everleigh]

That's an issue for all of us who live with carnivorous companion animals or work rescuing/rehabilitating carnivorous animals.

Yes it is.But she actually advocates the dogs eating it.Saying how healthy it is for them and how much good it has done for her dogs.There by convincing other people to just buy more meat so they can give it to their dogs.That doubles a household's meat consumption.

 

[Mischief]

Well, she's right - home prepared food is healthier than canned, and certainly healthier than dried kibble. Commercial dog food simply does not have a high enough protein/calorie ratio; dogs require much, much more protein than humans for optimal health.

 

[Everleigh]

I'm sure it's healthier (how much more healthy is debatable though)than the regular dog food bought in the store but I think if your really worried about your dog's diet being unhealthy you should check with your vet and perhaps they could prescribe a healthier brand.Or even switch the dog to a vegan diet.

Not advocate more meat consumption and that is exactly what she is doing.

 

[Mischief]

A vegan diet is not optimal for a dog. As I said before, their protein needs are much greater than a human's. And of course cats are obligate carnivores.

Also, I'm not sure why you think there's an ethical difference between preparing meat for your dog and buying it already prepared, in the form of commercial dog food.

 

[shyvas]

A vegan diet is not optimal for a dog. As I said before, their protein needs are much greater than a human's. And of course cats are obligate carnivores.

Also, I'm not sure why you think there's an ethical difference between preparing meat for your dog and buying it already prepared, in the form of commercial dog food.

It is the same thing. The food is meat in one form or another.

 

[Everleigh]

A vegan diet is not optimal for a dog. As I said before, their protein needs are much greater than a human's. And of course cats are obligate carnivores.

Also, I'm not sure why you think there's an ethical difference between preparing meat for your dog and buying it already prepared, in the form of commercial dog food.

First of all dogs can get enough protein on a vegan diet.You perhaps have to add supplements but it is possible.http://gentleworld.org/good-nutrition-for-healthy-vegan-dogs/#Protein & Carbohydrates

Second, I did not say that either choice was ethical just that it's preferable to not add to the meat that's already being consumed in any one particular household. Most commercial dog food from what I understand is made from the by products of already slaughtered animals.The waste that grocery stores can't sell and don't want.

 

[Amy SF]

I think the jury is still out on whether dogs do well on a vegan diet or not. And besides, a canine diet is not one-size-fits-all. Many dogs have health issues, and what works well for one dog won't work well for others. And dogs have different dietary needs from humans. I'd be more upset by someone who actively campaigns for, say, getting every dog a forever home, and then goes to McDonald's and eats a Big Mac than if they went home and fed meat to their own dog.

By the way, I don't really like the word "fakers' in your thread title. That suggests to me that omnis who are involved with animal advocacy are just pretending to care about animals. I don't think that's necessarily true for many of them. I think it's cluelessness: Either they haven't made the connection between loving animals and not eating them, or they have and they're in denial because they're just too conditioned to think of chickens as anything but food, and why should they care how they get their food? Or maybe they think that eating free range whatever is as far as they need to go and see veg*anism as unnecessary, possibly even unhealthy, if they've been brainwashed to think of veg*anism as unhealthy. Yes, there are people like that. I remember once at work we hired a woman to help me out in the office, and when I mentioned I was a vegetarian, her reaction was to enthusiastically inform me that she makes sure her family eats only organic, free range meat and eggs. Not sheepishly, like she knows it's not enough and they really want to do better by cutting out meat and eggs entirely, but happily, like they're doing their part for animal welfare by not eating factory farmed animals, and I should applaud them for that. I don't remember what I said in response, probably something like "Uhhhhhh...I gotta get back to work."

 

[SummerRain]

Second, I did not say that either choice was ethical just that it's preferable to not add to the meat that's already being consumed in any one particular household. Most commercial dog food from what I understand is made from the by products of already slaughtered animals.The waste that grocery stores can't sell and don't want.

I'd never thought of it like that before. I'm never sure whether there's any real substance to the idea that animal byproducts/etc are more ethical than meat because people don't directly kill animals for them. You're still showing a demand for an animal product that makes a company money, and the animal needs to be killed to get it. But, if you're caring for a carnivore/omnivore, perhaps as you suggest it's the lesser of evils.

Nonetheless, I think it's good not to judge other animal advocates too harshly. Everybody has their own ideas about what the best way of supporting animals is - and feeding rescued carnivores/omnivores is a difficult issue, because you're responsible for them and want them to be as healthy as possible, yet doing so requires you to buy animal products. I don't think there's a right answer. IMO most animal advocates - even ones who eat meat themselves - are doing more to help than your average person, and that's a good thing. Criticising each other is counter productive, although I do understand the frustration at people who claim to love animals yet eat meat/etc.

 

[Everleigh]

I'd never thought of it like that before. I'm never sure whether there's any real substance to the idea that animal byproducts/etc are more ethical than meat because people don't directly kill animals for them. You're still showing a demand for an animal product that makes a company money, and the animal needs to be killed to get it. But, if you're caring for a carnivore/omnivore, perhaps as you suggest it's the lesser of evils.
.

I think it's the lesser of evils because if you are feeding them the by product no more animals need to be killed.Where as this woman is advocating not feeding commercial dog food and saying go buy meat for your dinner and than buy extra meat for your dog's dinner.There by forcing more animals to be killed.I can't support that.