Guest guest Posted November 21, 2007 Report Share Posted November 21, 2007 This is a good example of why people should make an effort to verify the content of things before breathlessly forwarding them all around the world. Point by point-- >Pet meal backfires in shrimp >AllAboutFeed.net >19 nov 2007 > >With food security becoming a major issue, the problem of global >protein scarcity is leading to innovations that may not always fully >embrace ingredient integrity. The use of rendered pets disposed of >by animal shelters in the US and used in shrimp feed in parts of >Asia is one such case. > >According to the National Animal Control Association (USA) over 5.2 >million dogs and cats from animal shelters and pounds are put down >each year. Most of those have been humanly killed with >pentobarbital. The remains are sent to rendering facilities This is inaccurate in two key respects. First of all, the National Animal Control Association is using my data--from 10 years ago. The current total of animals killed in U.S. shelters is about 3.7 million per year. Of these, only a very small percentage are still rendered. The greatest number are cremated. The next largest number are buried in lined landfills. Rendering is relatively rare, except in some places such as southern California and Florida, where environmental regulations inhibit cremation and burial. >one large rendering plant in California, West Coast Rendering, >renders most of the animals from shelters in California. Baker >Commodities, Washington State, also renders dogs and cats in their >state. It is true that there is only one rendering plant in most parts of the U.S. that handle dogs and cats--because it is such an un-lucrative business. >A few years ago these rendered dogs and cats were being sent to pet >food companies and used in pet foods (meat meal). Because of the >huge outcry the rendering companies have chosen another route The " huge outcry " was a couple of decades ago. >Most of this rendered material is now going to China, South Korea, >Singapore, Taiwan and Japan according to Martin, where it is used as >a protein source for fish and shrimp food. This was the predominant use of rendered dogs & cats 20 years ago, when I looked into the matter myself. The reason I looked into it was that most of the rendering plants in the U.S. had stopped taking dog and cat remains, and shelters were complaining about having to install crematoriums. >These fish are than sent back to the US and sold to brokers all over >the country...She feels that it's extremely doubtful if the FDA >tested these fish for levels of pentobarbital. It is also extremely unlikely that pentobarbital could accumulate at significant levels in rendered fish food to begin with. The typical dose of pentobarbital to kill a dog is about 8 millilitres. This is a minutely small proportion of the body weight of the dog--perhaps 1/10,000th. Even if every dog and cat killed in U.S. shelters and veterinary clinics in a year was rendered, a total of just under 10 million animals per year, their remains would be mixed in the rendering stream with the remains of more than 10 billion chickens, 317 million turkeys, 121 million pigs, 39 million cattle, 10 million rabbits, and four million sheep and goats. There are not enough zeroes in a NASA calculator to figure out exactly how tiny the proportion of pentobarbital in fish food made from renderings is likely to be, let alone how tiny the proportion of residue would be after digestion by the fish, or shrimp, or whatever. On the scale of serious threats to animal & human well-being, this rates considerably below even elephant polo. -- Merritt Clifton Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE P.O. Box 960 Clinton, WA 98236 Telephone: 360-579-2505 Fax: 360-579-2575 E-mail: anmlpepl Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org [ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide, founded in 1992. Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection organizations. We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity. $24/year; for free sample, send address.] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 22, 2007 Report Share Posted November 22, 2007 *<This is a good example of why people should make an effort to verify the content of things before breathlessly forwarding them all around the world. Point by point—>* Indeed as a senior citizen it is highly appreciated of Mr. Merritt Clifton to be guiding we the people, but then disaster follows. *<On the scale of serious threats to animal & human well-being, this rates considerably below even elephant polo.>* The same person who was seen correcting others so that they undertake better effort with regards to fact findings before going public, fails to take note of his own words and punches the above lines. Some valid questions: 1. When was the survey for top 10 or top 100 etc etc threats to animal & well-being carried out? Is anyone aware of any such survey, or results? 2. Which agency was entrusted with the responsibility of carrying out the survey/ rating? 3. Is it an independent effort undertaken by the Editor, 'ANIMAL PEOPLE' , if so kindly make the results public? Me and those people who have spent a lifetime understanding elephants that include senior and respected scientists, lawyers, naturalists, and renowned authorities apart from the top anti animal abuse organizations of the world would like to know how many vested corporates, sponsors, country heads, ambassadors, Dukes, self styled elephant experts and other anti socials participated in that survey after which a so called 'RATING " was announced that * " On the scale of serious threats to animal & human well-being, this rates considerably below even elephant polo " *Azam Note to Moderator: Dear Dr. John, If captive elephants and their rights do matter to the AAPN, then kindly in future please please avoid allowing the posting of such irresponsible and foolish statements which are HIGHLY DAMAGING . This is a request in the greater interest of the movement which continues to be victimized by its own people. We need to cut the comedy if we actually want to be working together. In the past you have prevented irresponsible messages from getting posted on AAPN. Regards, Azam On Nov 21, 2007 1:42 PM, Merritt Clifton <anmlpepl wrote: > This is a good example of why people should make an effort to > verify the content of things before breathlessly forwarding them all > around the world. Point by point-- > > >Pet meal backfires in shrimp > >AllAboutFeed.net > >19 nov 2007 > > > >With food security becoming a major issue, the problem of global > >protein scarcity is leading to innovations that may not always fully > >embrace ingredient integrity. The use of rendered pets disposed of > >by animal shelters in the US and used in shrimp feed in parts of > >Asia is one such case. > > > >According to the National Animal Control Association (USA) over 5.2 > >million dogs and cats from animal shelters and pounds are put down > >each year. Most of those have been humanly killed with > >pentobarbital. The remains are sent to rendering facilities > > This is inaccurate in two key respects. > > First of all, the National Animal Control Association is > using my data--from 10 years ago. The current total of animals > killed in U.S. shelters is about 3.7 million per year. > > Of these, only a very small percentage are still rendered. > The greatest number are cremated. The next largest number are buried > in lined landfills. Rendering is relatively rare, except in some > places such as southern California and Florida, where environmental > regulations inhibit cremation and burial. > > >one large rendering plant in California, West Coast Rendering, > >renders most of the animals from shelters in California. Baker > >Commodities, Washington State, also renders dogs and cats in their > >state. > > It is true that there is only one rendering plant in most > parts of the U.S. that handle dogs and cats--because it is such an > un-lucrative business. > > >A few years ago these rendered dogs and cats were being sent to pet > >food companies and used in pet foods (meat meal). Because of the > >huge outcry the rendering companies have chosen another route > > The " huge outcry " was a couple of decades ago. > > >Most of this rendered material is now going to China, South Korea, > >Singapore, Taiwan and Japan according to Martin, where it is used as > >a protein source for fish and shrimp food. > > This was the predominant use of rendered dogs & cats 20 years > ago, when I looked into the matter myself. The reason I looked into > it was that most of the rendering plants in the U.S. had stopped > taking dog and cat remains, and shelters were complaining about > having to install crematoriums. > > >These fish are than sent back to the US and sold to brokers all over > >the country...She feels that it's extremely doubtful if the FDA > >tested these fish for levels of pentobarbital. > > It is also extremely unlikely that pentobarbital could > accumulate at significant levels in rendered fish food to begin with. > > The typical dose of pentobarbital to kill a dog is about 8 > millilitres. This is a minutely small proportion of the body weight > of the dog--perhaps 1/10,000th. > > Even if every dog and cat killed in U.S. shelters and > veterinary clinics in a year was rendered, a total of just under 10 > million animals per year, their remains would be mixed in the > rendering stream with the remains of more than 10 billion chickens, > 317 million turkeys, 121 million pigs, 39 million cattle, 10 > million rabbits, and four million sheep and goats. > > There are not enough zeroes in a NASA calculator to figure > out exactly how tiny the proportion of pentobarbital in fish food > made from renderings is likely to be, let alone how tiny the > proportion of residue would be after digestion by the fish, or > shrimp, or whatever. > > On the scale of serious threats to animal & human well-being, > this rates considerably below even elephant polo. > > -- > Merritt Clifton > Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE > P.O. Box 960 > Clinton, WA 98236 > > Telephone: 360-579-2505 > Fax: 360-579-2575 > E-mail: anmlpepl <anmlpepl%40whidbey.com> > Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org > > [ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing > original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide, > founded in 1992. Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the > decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection organizations. > We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity. $24/year; > for free sample, send address.] > > -- Fight captive Jumbo abuse, end Elephant Polo http://www.stopelephantpolo.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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