Support safe food for our pets

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Support safe food for our pets

Dodgy pet food could be making our cats and dogs sick. Join us in calling for pet food regulation to help keep them safe.

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Why do you think we need stronger pet food protections?

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Stand up for safe pet food

We should be able to trust the food we buy for our pets is safe and won’t hurt them. But a number of pet food products have been linked to death and life-threatening illnesses, such as megaesophagus.

CHOICE is calling for regulations to ensure pet food is safe. These include:

Higher standards

All pet food should be required to meet a mandatory standard.

Illustration of a shopping trolley and crossbones.

Faster recalls

The ability to get dodgy pet food off the shelves and out of homes fast.

Independent regulator

An independent body should regulate pet food.

Show your support for safe pet food

Why do we need better pet food standards?

There are no laws in Australia governing the safety of pet food. The United States, New Zealand and the European Union all have protections in place, but we’re lagging behind – and our pets are suffering.

What supporters are saying

Jason

Our pets are members of our family and deserve to have adequate protections for something as basic as their food.

Kylie

We put our trust into these products to be safe just as we do for human food, so safety standards for pet food makes sense.

Why this campaign matters

Bailey, an otherwise healthy, six-year-old Labrador, was put down in February 2018 due to megaesophagus after eating suspected dodgy dog food.

FAQs

What's wrong with the pet food industry?

Currently, there are no laws governing pet food safety in Australia, only voluntary standards.

There has been a number of cases of consumption of pet food being linked to serious injury or death of Australian pets.

In March 2018, dog food product Advance Dermocare was recalled when it was linked with the condition megaesophagus. Over 100 dogs who consumed Advanced Dermocare were affected with the life-long condition, and it has been linked to the death of at least 17 dogs.

What can the government do about it?

A Senate Inquiry has just concluded into pet food regulation. Now's our chance to make sure they fix this industry for good.

How do I know if my pet food is dodgy?

While we don’t know the full extent of the problem, greater regulation and oversight will help reveal this. In the past seven years, there have been at least three voluntary recalls of pet food products. These include:

Advance Dermocare dog food (March 2018)
Weruva BFF cat food (May 2017)
Whiskas dry cat food (September 2013)

Looking for more information? CHOICE's health expert has written an article on pet food regulation, which looks at the state of pet food in Australia and who you can turn to if you think something is wrong.