A philosophical question for fellow vegans. What about companion animals?!
I am vegan, and this question is directed to other vegan people!. Answers that are deliberately unhelpful or hateful will be reported as such!.
Again, I am vegan, and I love dogs!. I've had dogs growing up, and I've always planned to adopt dogs on my own!. However, I've run into an ethical dilemma: hundreds of thousands of dogs are in need of good homes, but in order to care for a dog, one would have to buy dog food, and contribute to the torture and killing of billions of other animals!. I have been told that dogs are able to thrive on vegetarian diets, but I don't think it's right to impose my morals on an amoral creature!. And to be clear, I see nothing wrong with a dog killing another animal for food!. I do have a problem with a person, who has moral capacity, doing the same when non-sentient sources of food are available (not to mention the way animals are treated on factory farms)!. Anyway, I promised myself that I would no longer contribute to the meat and dairy industry, and, more importantly, I'd do what I could with my life to limit animal suffering!.
I guess my question is how do vegan dog owners justify it!? Utilitarianism would dictate that hundreds of thousands of dogs dying in shelters is preferable to billions of other animals dying to feed the dogs!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Again, I am vegan, and I love dogs!. I've had dogs growing up, and I've always planned to adopt dogs on my own!. However, I've run into an ethical dilemma: hundreds of thousands of dogs are in need of good homes, but in order to care for a dog, one would have to buy dog food, and contribute to the torture and killing of billions of other animals!. I have been told that dogs are able to thrive on vegetarian diets, but I don't think it's right to impose my morals on an amoral creature!. And to be clear, I see nothing wrong with a dog killing another animal for food!. I do have a problem with a person, who has moral capacity, doing the same when non-sentient sources of food are available (not to mention the way animals are treated on factory farms)!. Anyway, I promised myself that I would no longer contribute to the meat and dairy industry, and, more importantly, I'd do what I could with my life to limit animal suffering!.
I guess my question is how do vegan dog owners justify it!? Utilitarianism would dictate that hundreds of thousands of dogs dying in shelters is preferable to billions of other animals dying to feed the dogs!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Answers:
Simple answer
A true vegan would not own a dog or cat that requires animal matter to survive!.
This problem is more than a black and white issue as you have said, there are hundreds of thousands of animals that are put down because no one will take them!.
However, being vegan is not black and white, it is a definable term, a vegan takes no part in exploiting animals, period, end of discussion!.
You really cannot be a true vegan and own an animal that requires you to buy food with tortured animals in it, although i suspect that many vegans do exactly that and choose to not think about, those people as i mentioned however, are not true vegans, they are like people who eat fish and call themselves vegetarians!.
goodluckWww@FoodAQ@Com
A true vegan would not own a dog or cat that requires animal matter to survive!.
This problem is more than a black and white issue as you have said, there are hundreds of thousands of animals that are put down because no one will take them!.
However, being vegan is not black and white, it is a definable term, a vegan takes no part in exploiting animals, period, end of discussion!.
You really cannot be a true vegan and own an animal that requires you to buy food with tortured animals in it, although i suspect that many vegans do exactly that and choose to not think about, those people as i mentioned however, are not true vegans, they are like people who eat fish and call themselves vegetarians!.
goodluckWww@FoodAQ@Com
I am a vegan and I rescued my dog from an animal shelter!. I buy him vegan dog food from the health food store!. He is very healthy and happy and has no idea that he's "missing" anything!. I think that anyone who can adopt an animal from a shelter should!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
I believe you should feed the dog simply dog food!. Its what they eat!. Not you!. Www@FoodAQ@Com
Dogs are naturally omnivorous, and can live healthily on a vegan diet, You're not really imposing your beliefs on your dog, because he/she won't know the difference between vegan and non-vegan dog food, and can't comprehend your reasons for feeding him/her vegan food!. If you chose to feed your dog regular dog food, it would not amount to billions of other animals dying!. Dogs don't live nearly as long as humans, and the average human only "saves" about 90 animals per year by being vegetarian!. By saving the life of a dog in a shelter, you are doing what you can to limit animal suffering, and by feeding your dog vegan food, you're doing even more!. Would you rather leave the dog in the shelter to be euthanized!? That's one life that you can save RIGHT NOW, whereas being vegan is great, but you're not immediately saving the life of a cow by not eating beef, etc!. The animals will still be slaughtered every day for people who do eat them!.
I'm vegan also, but I'm more of a cat person!. Cats are natural carnivores, so it's a little different!. I've seen a little evidence that cats can be healthy as herbivores, but it isn't enough to convince me!. How do I justify it!? My cat is like my child, so I want to do what's best and most natural for her, regardless of my personal beliefs!. I couldn't imagine what might have happened to her if I hadn't taken her in!. She was so frail, and obviously the "runt" when I brought her home!. Anyway, I mainly feed her Pet Promise, which is free of all the byproducts and leftover junk that is in regular pet food!. My cat is very dog-like though!. She plays fetch, follows me everywhere, and is really playful!.!.!.I adore her!. :) I also have rabbits, which are easy when it comes to veganism, and they love all your vegetable scraps!. :)Www@FoodAQ@Com
I'm vegan also, but I'm more of a cat person!. Cats are natural carnivores, so it's a little different!. I've seen a little evidence that cats can be healthy as herbivores, but it isn't enough to convince me!. How do I justify it!? My cat is like my child, so I want to do what's best and most natural for her, regardless of my personal beliefs!. I couldn't imagine what might have happened to her if I hadn't taken her in!. She was so frail, and obviously the "runt" when I brought her home!. Anyway, I mainly feed her Pet Promise, which is free of all the byproducts and leftover junk that is in regular pet food!. My cat is very dog-like though!. She plays fetch, follows me everywhere, and is really playful!.!.!.I adore her!. :) I also have rabbits, which are easy when it comes to veganism, and they love all your vegetable scraps!. :)Www@FoodAQ@Com
If you're the one buying the food, thats YOUR morals, not your dogs'!.
Veganism is about what practices you choose to finance, not what goes in your dogs mouth!
And since vegan pet food has been evaluated as fulfilling all the nutritional requirements, usually even more completely than the over-processed crap in conventional pet food, why would you NOT buy it!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
Veganism is about what practices you choose to finance, not what goes in your dogs mouth!
And since vegan pet food has been evaluated as fulfilling all the nutritional requirements, usually even more completely than the over-processed crap in conventional pet food, why would you NOT buy it!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
Dogs aren't carnivores!. They are omnivorous and can eat both plant based and meat based foods!. In the Guiness world records it shows a dog that has lived, I think it was, more than 60 years old!.!.!. and it was raised on a vegetarian/vegan diet!. You need to look into it more!.!.!. Www@FoodAQ@Com
I don't see how you can think that a vegan diet is imposing and somehow a meat-based diet is the neutral choice!. YOU would be in charge of these animals, and it's your job to make the best choices for them!. So if you've heard that dogs can thrive on a vegetarian diet, then why not provide that to them!?Www@FoodAQ@Com
Most of the more expensive dog products like Iams are corn based!.
Farm animals are more grain feed for fating faster!. I admit the cheaper and some products are bad!. I love my critters!. I love the way I eat healthy!. I am with ya!. Oh there is horse meat in many products!. I don't like it!. I am one of those people who cold write letters to people till the cow jumps over the moon, pardon the pun!.Www@FoodAQ@Com
Farm animals are more grain feed for fating faster!. I admit the cheaper and some products are bad!. I love my critters!. I love the way I eat healthy!. I am with ya!. Oh there is horse meat in many products!. I don't like it!. I am one of those people who cold write letters to people till the cow jumps over the moon, pardon the pun!.Www@FoodAQ@Com