[Following is a volunteer review of “Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food
Fraud” by Dr Tom Lonsdale. The original post can be found here: https://forums.onlinebookclub.org/viewtopic.php?p=2434827 ]
Dr. Tom Lonsdale’s “Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud” is a passionate call to arms for pet owners, an explosive exposé of the supposedly lucrative, surprisingly shady world of commercial pet food. Lonsdale, a veteran veterinarian and tireless advocate for raw meaty bone (RMB) diets, doesn’t mince words. He paints a grim picture of an industry driven by profits over pet health, reliant on processed, low-quality ingredients, and aided by a cozy alliance with veterinarians and animal welfare groups.
The book opens with Lonsdale’s journey, detailing his early skepticism towards traditional kibble and his gradual awakening to the benefits of RMB diets. He weaves in case studies of animals thriving on raw food after years of kibble-related woes, from skin allergies and digestive issues to sluggishness and obesity. These anecdotes personalize the statistics and scientific arguments, making the case for RMB visceral and immediate.
Lonsdale dedicates a significant portion to dismantling the industry’s claims, tackling myths like the nutritional completeness of kibble and the dangers of raw feeding. He debunks the “pink slime” controversy and unpacks the complex web of regulations and lobbying that favor large pet food companies. His tone is often fiery, bordering on combative, but his meticulous research and citations bolster his claims, even against the formidable clout of industry giants.
However, the book is not solely an attack on kibble. Lonsdale offers practical guidance for transitioning pets to RMB diets, providing detailed instructions on sourcing suitable bones, balancing meals, and addressing any concerns. He shares personal testimonies from fellow veterinarians and pet owners who have seen remarkable improvements in their animals’ health after switching to RMB, adding social proof to his scientific arguments.
While Lonsdale’s stance is undeniably polarizing, it’s impossible to ignore the weight of his evidence. The book raises valid questions about the ethics of an industry prioritizing profit over pet well-being, and the potential consequences of feeding our furry companions nutritionally deficient, chemical-laden food.
“Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud” is not a comfortable read for pet owners accustomed to the convenience and perceived safety of kibble. It challenges deeply ingrained beliefs and prompts a re-evaluation of our relationship with our pets and the food we give them. It’s a wake-up call to responsible pet ownership, urging us to question the status quo and explore potentially healthier alternatives.
Whether you agree with Lonsdale’s fervent advocacy for RMB or not, this book cannot be ignored. It’s a valuable resource for any pet owner concerned about their companion’s health, providing information to make informed decisions about their furry family members’ diet. It calls for transparency, responsible pet ownership, and a return to nature’s bounty for our beloved companions. This book deserves 5 out of 5 stars for exploring, providing, and showing the other side of the story of the pet food industry.
Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud
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SYNOPSIS
Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud:
Hiding in Plain Sight
Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud: Hiding in Plain Sight is the third book in the Raw
Meaty Bones Trilogy commencing with Raw Meaty Bones: Promote Health (2001) and Work
Wonders: Feed your dog raw meaty bones (2005).
The Trilogy, in conjunction with the author’s webpage www.ThePetFoodCon.com and the
UK Parliament Petition: Inquiry into the pet food industry and its relationship with the vet
profession represent a manifesto for change that began over thirty years ago. At core it’s a
manifesto for the humane treatment of animals and a fairer world for us all.
Synopsis
At first glance Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud raises questions, is designed to raise
questions, however it also provides plenty of answers about the global pet-food fraud hiding
in plain sight.
Part memoir of Dr Tom Lonsdale’s 30-year campaign to expose and overcome the
junk pet-food/vet/fake animal welfare collaboration, part textbook for vets and pet owners,
part a series of indictments and prosecuting briefs for those ready to take up the struggle. The
book draws together much that hitherto was scattered in the historical record.
Twelve chapters in all, with seven appendices, the chapters each stand on their own
and can be read independently of the rest of the book — a necessary function given the
density of the information provided and that it upends conventional viewpoints. The junk pet
food/vet/fake animal welfare fictions are repudiated and replaced with essential truths.
The early chapters provide the reader with a grounding in animal health and
veterinary care—necessary for pet-owners needing to function as their own vet in the face of
mass veterinary incompetence and corruption. Vets and allied professions will find vital new
information that the veterinary establishment has effectively suppressed until now.
Chapters 6 through 10 reveal a veterinary profession lost without a moral compass
gripped by a paralysis of its own making. Opportunists exploit the vacuum in veterinary
integrity and leadership, all of which is aided and abetted by an indifferent media, politicians
and regulators.
The chapters are sprinkled with vignettes, line drawings and photographs. There are
two letters from Buckingham Palace. Taken together, the book is a series of parables within
one larger parable about systems failures and human doublespeak. It’s an attempt to get the
pets’ voice heard.
Despite sensational revelations of endemic cruelty and fraud the book avoids
sensationalism. Chapter 12 contemplates some of the community-wide changes needed to
spark the pet-feeding, pet-health revolution.
Selected commentary
If veterinarian and natural feeding campaigner Tom Lonsdale’s explosive assertions about the
pet food industry are correct, Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud will go down as a
landmark book, transforming our attitudes towards pet care just as Silent Spring by Rachel
Carson reshaped our views towards the environment.
Chris Riches Daily Express
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Multi-Billion-Dollar Pet Food Fraud provides the shocking yet essential facts every pet
owner needs to know.
The European
………………………………….
This book is a simply-written yet eloquent explanation of Tom Lonsdale’s vision of how our
pets could lead much longer and happier lives. There is a touch of James Heriot about his
stories of innocent animals rescued from disease.
Mark O’Connor Award Winning Australian Poet
………………………………….
Is this the most outrageous consumer fraud of modern times? For the past three decades, pet
industry whistleblower Tom Lonsdale has dedicated himself to giving voice to the voiceless
by waging war on what he sees as ‘junk pet food’, its manufacturers, and proponents. If you
want to give your pet a long, healthy and happy future, read this book.
Richard Moriarty The Sun
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For more information, please go to: www.ThePetFoodCon.com
