An Open Letter To The Pet Food Industry

March 2023

Open letter to industrial pet food companies and their enablers

Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud: Hiding in Plain Sight

I draw your attention to your core business that imposes a multi-billion-dollar fraud upon an unsuspecting public while inflicting unconscionable cruelty on dependent and vulnerable pets.

It starts with your first lie—that industrial pet foods, whether cooked or raw, are suitable and safe for pets—and becomes a progressively elaborate multi-level, multinational con.

You know that wild dogs and cats thrive on a tough, challenging diet. The feeding frenzy ripping and tearing their prey ensures vigorous teeth cleaning, stimulation of the all-important immune system and consumption of the essential nutrients in raw meat and bones.

Alas, most domestic dogs and cats are condemned to slurp your canned slops or gulp baked pellets bearing no resemblance to the healthful diet ordained by nature. Without access to a toothbrush and no power of speech, domestic pets endure their fate—chronic diet-induced diseases and frequent visits to the vet. Pet owners believe your false and misleading advertising and remain unaware of their pets’ suffering.

I allege that at least since 1991, when this matter was first aired in the Australian veterinary press, you have been aware of your criminal liability in respect to consumer fraud and pet welfare. I further allege that your deception is aided and abetted by an incompetent and often corrupt veterinary profession that ignores foundation science and welfare imperatives in its provision of a protective cordon around your industry.

Vet schools and associations accept pet food hush money. Veterinary students are brainwashed to accept a bogus system that generates millions of patients—all of which are suffering the consequences of your industrial products.

In November 2005 Members of the UK Parliament tabled Early Day Motion 1003:

Raw Meaty Bones Group

That this House notes the controversy surrounding the promotion and sale of processed pet foods by veterinary surgeons; acknowledges the evidence and analysis in the book Raw Meaty Bones by Tom Lonsdale; commends the UK Raw Meaty Bones Group’s public awareness campaign; and calls for a wide ranging inquiry into that group’s serious concerns relating to human and pet health, the economy and the environment and the adequacy of the current veterinary regulatory system to investigate these issues.

Unfortunately, UK veterinary schools and associations refused either to acknowledge or review the book. For them criticism of your industry is taboo. The UK regulatory bodies responsible for overseeing the veterinary profession—the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA)—keep a low profile and pretend not to notice.

Stock exchanges, banks, insurance companies and supermarket chains will likely stop feigning ignorance and seek to limit their exposure, whether financial or criminal, in respect to animal cruelty and consumer fraud. When one domino falls expect more. In the USA Class Actions are common and criminal racketeering actions under RICO provisions are available. In the UK multi-party court actions can be expected.

I contend that the processed pet food industry in conjunction with the veterinary profession must as a matter of urgency either:

• publish comparison feeding trials that demonstrate processed products are suitable and safe for pets, otherwise,
• cease and desist from injuring the health of dogs and cats and defrauding their owners.

Signed:

Dr Tom Lonsdale