Should Vegans only keep dogs when the dogs can be kept on a Vegan diet?

Question

This came up in a past question, Someone said that a Vegan should feed their dogs vegan food if they are true Vegans. What do you think? Personally I think it's more complex then that. Dog's do fine on a Vegan diet, barring any previous health problems (there is plenty of research on this subject, look it up, I don't want this to become a discustion about dog nutrition.) but if for some reason the dog cannot eat a Vegan diet I think the human Vegan should not get rid of the dog. While I think it's regretable to feed the dog meat, you are better off giving the dog a good home and supporting the meat industry a bit, then to kick out the dog.
Everyone also should understand that we don't have a problem with the dog eating meat exsactly. We have a problem with supporting the meat idsustry. Thoughts?

Answer 1

a person who has chosen to adopt a dog should be always looking out for the dog's best intrests. if the dog loves a vegan diet and is happy and healthy on it, there is no reason not to keep the dog on it. if for whatever reason the dog can't have a vegan diet the person needs to adapt that for the dog. if the dog has to eat meat, getting it good quality (for human consumption grade) meat is probably the best option (organic and free range). it sucks if you have to support the meat industry for the dog but you are giving the dog the best life possible is what is most important.
we recently adopted a rescued dog and it LOVES its vegan pet food. unfortunately we haven't found a vegan treat that excites her enough when out to help her with training (she's really aggressive with other dogs-- we're using the reward method to teach her to relate other dogs with treats. vegan homemade treats weren't enough to get her to focus on us instead of other dogs. we've had to break down and buy some pet treats with meat). we've also decided to allow her to be "freegan". if friends/family give her meat or treats with meat we'll allow it but we don't want to support the meat or petfood industry if we can help it.

Answer 2

I am not sure about a vegan diet, but dogs are perfectly fine and do very well with a vegetarian diet. My extended family and I have had several dogs over the years and they have all been hail and healthy on a vegetarian diet. Some of them have even won awards on various occasions. Though it might sound odd for a dog to follow a vegetarian diet in the Western countries, in India it's pretty common, because a high percentage of the people are vegetarians. Usually pet owners ensure they get good amount of eggs and milk on an everyday basis. Don't worry about any weaknesses or anything of that sort!

Answer 3

The point of being vegan/vegetarian or anything of the sort is to try and make a stand about something, whether it be your health or some comment on slaughter houses or animal rights. Vegans and vegetarians should do the most they can, but if they can't do something, then they shouldn't. My friend would love to give up all meat, but has a protein deficiency problem that doesn't allow for that, so she still eats fish once or twice a week. It's more about supporting the things you believe in to the best of your ability than trying to become a "true" vegan.

Answer 4

That is a toughie. I'm a vegetarian and I kind of live as a vegan (no leather, gelatin, glycerin), and I have puzzled over this myself.
I have two ferrets and a bearded dragon; the ferrets need meat in their diet from their food and the beardie eats worms. PETA says that you shouldn't have pets, but I disagree.

I think that as long as you aren't hurting the animal by turning it vegan, go for it, but we must remember that these animals are natural meat-eaters, and to give them a good home (which they deserve) means to feed them what they need. There are a lot of pets out there without homes, and I think that opening your door to them is more important than being militant about your ideals.
Hope this helps.

Answer 5

First of all, that makes no sense what this person told you.
In order to be a Vegan oneself MUST follow vegan rule, not everyone around him/her.
That would be like saying in-order for you to be a vegan all of your friends MUST be vegans. It just isn't so.
A Vegan can own an animal and feed them whatever they wish, whether it be plain old dog food, wet food, human food or steaks. What the Vegan person decides to feed his or her pet will not effect what they are.

Further note, most vegans don't eat meat because they don't believe in the killing of the animal and that's because as a human we have evolved more and have many options on buying or getting out food. Vegan's also understand that animals have not yet evolved so they have no choice on how they get their food and like almost all animals, they DO NOT KNOW the difference from right and wrong when it comes to eating, making them excused from Vegan ways and tradition.

Hope this helped you out.

Answer 6

No one has the right to be telling someone else how to live.

PERIOD.

There are varying levels of veganism. Like there are varying levels of Christianity.

There are fanatics and there are those on an even keel.

I am a vegan. I own two cats. They are on a raw meat diet. It's the most healthy for them. I buy organic range raised bird for them. They love chicken and turkey.

No one has the right to tell me how to feed my critters.

That whole "holier than thou" bit is what makes it very hard for us, as veggies, to convince the world that our way is better.

Contrary to what others have said here, having a pet is not animal exploitation. It can be. But those people usually end up in jail for animal abuse. I think some folks are getting confused over that.

Do we exploit people when we have friends? My pets are my family. They get the best love and care.

Answer 7

That is simply ridiculous. I have found that most vegans and vegetarians in fact have turned their homes into animal rescue shelters of some sorts. Vegans are compassionate toward animals. I can't imagine that any would purchase animals from evil breeders or pet stores, but they often rescue them from shelters. They then give their animals the diets needed for them to lead healthy and happy lives.

Any vegan/vegetarian who would kick an animal out to die homeless deserves to be kicked out on his/her butt as well... or at least watch the suffering that pet would endure due to his/her neglect.

As a side note, responsible vegan pet owners will research the types of animal food (such as Heartz) that torture animals to create animal food.

Answer 8

Theoretically, a true vegan should never have a pet dog. One of the tenets of the vegan lifestyle is no exploitation of animals, and keeping one as a pet is seen as exploitation. True vegans believe that "owning" another living being is exploitation.
However, it is very hard to answer to your question, it is a very difficult subject. In order to remain true to vegan principles, one should not buy any animal products. This is obviously very difficult when buying dog food.
However, the technology is there for vegetarian dog food - and it is on sale in many places. Even vegetarian cat food, which it was once believed could not be produced due to the difficulties of duplicating taurine, has now been achieved.
I think every vegan needs to make their own mind up. By getting a pet dog they could well be alleviating the suffering of an animal which has previously been badly treated or abandoned, and give it a very loving future. But they also have to accept that if they are going to buy it standard dog food, they will be handing over their cash to the meat industry.
It's a bit of a double edged sword.

Answer 9

Dogs are omnivores,not carnivores,there was even a lion who wouldn't eat meat,she lived fine without it(she ate eggs and milk) although many people thought that since lions are carnivores that they couldn't live without meat.For some reason she wouldn't touch meat,not even if a drop of blood was put in her milk.This reminds me of that quote...

"In that day the wolf and the lamb will lie down together, and the leopard and goats will be at peace. Calves and fat cattle will be safe among lions, and the little child shall lead them all. The cows will graze among bears; cubs and calves will lie down together, and lions will eat grass like the cows. . . Nothing will hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, for as the waters fill the sea, so shall the earth be full of the knowledge of the Lord." -Isaiah 11:6-10

The lion doesn't eat grass like the quote,but it wouldn't eat meat or anything with blood.
http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v22/i2/lion.asp

If I could I would keep my own chickens and give it the eggs and buy organic milk for my it.But yeah,I would only buy meat from whole foods if my dog had to eat meat.

Answer 10

I agree with you that you should feed the dog meat rather than kick it out.

As a pet owner, you are the dog's caretaker and pseudo-parent. If the dog needs to be fed meat, then that's what you need to do; it's what a responsible pet owner should do. If you really want to be a good caretaker, you must have your pet's best interests at heart.

It's cruel (that's a little harsh, but I can't think of a good word) to find a pet, then, once you find that it has special dietary needs, get rid of it.