About 9 years ago we brought home our dog Coco. No, she is not named after the designer. My brother was 5 at the time and we gave him the honor of naming our new dog. He looked at her light brown color and decided to name her Coco like the color or most likely after the color of the hot cocoa that he liked to drink so much at the time. Anyway, we all loved the name, so it stuck. Our new dog’s name would be Coco. Nine years later she is an essential part of our family. I can’t even remember a time where she wasn’t with us. It feels like she has always been part of our family. Somehow this 10-pound (on a good day!) fluffy little creature managed to steal all of our hearts. There isn’t a day that goes by where we all haven’t spent a considerable amount of time with her. Whether it is petting her or cuddling with her or throwing her favorite toy around the house and having her chase after it. There is nothing better than when you leave the house and return, and she is so grateful and excited to see you. Greeting you at the door with her tail wagging furiously and lots and lots of licks. Since dogs don’t have a concept of time, for her it seems like forever even if it was just an hour. It is a huge part of the reason that we all find it so hard to leave her. She almost knows that you are leaving before you do and she gets this very sad look on her face. It is heartbreaking. It is so hard to walk out the door with her giving you her puppy eyes. Which is why if there is a destination that we can drive to rather than fly, we generally opt for the driving so that we can bring Coco along for the ride.
We all take responsibility for Coco in some small way. My dad is in charge of walking her but the rest of us divide up the other responsibilities and of course we all love to feed her. Since food is definitely the way to Coco’s heart. So, when I read about the dangerous items that could potentially be in Coco’s food, my heart sank. I never ever want anything to hurt my fluffy little sister. So, I start doing some research. Who is responsible for monitoring the ingredients in pet food? What is the procedure? And of course, most importantly is it safe? Once again, I dive into the internet. Here is what I find. The Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act gives the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) the authority to regulate substances used in animal food. Here is where it gets a little tricky. Enter the Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO). This is an independent organization that works with the FDA to create a list of animal food ingredients and additives that are generally recognized as safe for their intended uses in food. Basically, they set the standards for safe pet food ingredients in the United States. They have had this arrangement with the FDA for the past 17 years. However, their agreement is expiring on October 1st and the FDA is not renewing it. So, you must be thinking – what is the concern? We have procedures in place to regulate and monitor pet food ingredients. That sounds good, right? Wrong. It seems that some of the ingredients that the AAFCO has deemed as acceptable are not very pet safe. They include certain forms of plastic, restaurant waste and dust, among other things. There are also some other items that have been found to be deemed acceptable by the AAFCO, but I will refrain from listing them. It will definitely make you physically ill to know that they could be in your favorite pet’s food. I know I was.
Additionally, there is no ban on the use of plastic chemicals such as PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) and BPA (Bisphenol-A) from being used on the inside of pet food cans. Which as we all know can then potentially seep into the food. So, I am sure that if you are like me your next question is, how do we fix this? How do we protect our furry little family? The answer is we act. We write to the FDA. They are currently seeking comments from the public regarding their pre-market animal food review processes. So now is the time to speak up. You must be asking – well, what do I say? Well, here is what you say. You demand that more stringent review processes be put into place. You demand that all pet food ingredients are carefully analyzed before being deemed “safe”. You demand that plastic in any form not be able to be an acceptable part of any pet food whether the actual food or the container. Most importantly you demand that the public have a say.
However, you must do it fast. The comment period ends on September 9th. I know that is not exactly a significant amount of time, but it is most certainly enough time to get your voice heard. I have included the address to write to below:
Dockets Management Staff (HFA-305)
RE: FDA Enforcement Policy for AAFCO Defined Animal Food Ingredients
Food and Drug Administration
5630 Fishers Lane, Rm 1051, Rockville, MD 20852
So, write to the FDA and speak for those that can only purr or bark. Besides it’s not like you are trying to make fetch happen…..
BreitLights 
Leave a comment