Petition: Enforce Pet Food Standards in Australia

During the past few months, over 20 dogs in Australia have died and over 40 have gotten ill after eating Maffra District Knackery brand pet food, according to The Guardian. Experts believe that the meat in the dog food must have contained indospicine, a toxin that causes liver disease and death in dogs.

Veterinarians and devastated dog owners began to make connections and realize that the pet food was causing dogs to get sick. Thus, warned others and stopped purchasing the meat. PrimeSafe meat and seafood regulator made a statement with Agriculture Victoria confirming their suspicions and advising pet owners to avoid any Maffra District Knackery meat that had been processed between May 31st and July 3rd. A recall was issued on July 20th.

While the brand has taken some precautions to prevent this from occurring again, the pet food industry does not have nearly enough regulation. Pet food standards in the country are voluntary and thus, there are no legal or financial incentives for pet food suppliers to keep animals safe. One pet food maker who is part of the Pet Food Industry Association of Australia (PFIAA), said that for companies who do not partake in the PFIAA’s voluntary annual audits, “it’s really a free-for-all.” Now, many pet owners, vets, activists, and PFIAA members are encouraging the government to regulate the indsutry.

These horrible deaths and illnesses could have been prevented if the government cared about protecting animals. We can’t let something like this ever happen again. Sign this petition to ask the Australian government to standardize and enforce mandatory pet food standards across the country!

To continue speaking up, sign these other petitions as well:

• Amend the Dangerous Dog Act
• Create Programs to Help Dog Meat Farmers Transition to Other Industries

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