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🦈 Our Dogs Are EATING Shark? Apparently...

Scientists recently found evidence of endangered shark DNA in big brand pet food manufactured out of Singapore. As if pet parents didn’t have enough to worry about.

April 27, 2023

In Today’s Email:

  • Sharks in the DOG FOOD: We’re gonna need a bigger dog bowl…

  • The $75 Tasting Menu for Your Dog: No doggy bag needed.

  • “The Squeeze” aka The Internet’s Best Dog News in 60 seconds.

  • The Last Laugh: What we’re laughing with. Not at.

There’s Shark DNA In A LOT Of Dog Food

As if pet parents didn’t have enough to worry about…

A recent study of DNA material in six dog food brands discovered the existence of unreported animal and plant species in all six dog foods; findings which contradicted the marketing and labeling of the dog foods. So those dog foods advertised as grain-free in fact were not, and traces of other animals — like chicken, beef and turkey were found when those ingredients weren’t present on the label.

Gross. And it gets worse.

In 2019 AND AGAIN in 2022, scientists found evidence of endangered shark DNA in big brand pet food manufactured out of Singapore.

Of the 144 samples sequenced, 45 – roughly a third – contained shark DNA. The most frequently identified species were blue shark, silky shark and whitetip reef shark. The silky shark and the whitetip reef shark are listed as “vulnerable” in the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

None had listed sharks as an ingredient, with most brands using generic terms such as “fish”, “ocean fish”, “white bait” or “white fish”. 

Ian French, one of the two scientists behind the study, said “Under current regulations, vague labels such as ‘white fish’, ‘ocean fish’ or ‘white bait’ in pet food are allowed. These labels enable companies to sell mixtures of fish without specifying, or even possibly knowing, their corresponding species identities.”

“Moreover, this is at least the fourth study in the past four years to expose mislabelling practices locally,” he added.

Although there is no clear scientific evidence for the health impact on pets consuming shark meat, Mr French noted that previous research has shown that there are high levels of mercury in sharks, which may lead to mercury poisoning among cats and dogs.

All of the brands identified have systems in place to identify these aberrant ingredients, and apparently have strict global quality and safety requirements, sustainability practices and traceability practices…apparently. So how does this happen? This gets at the issue of one of the biggest problems in the pet food industry…

Supply Chain Mapping

Supply chain mapping is a process of figuring out all the steps, people, and companies involved in making and getting a product to customers. It's like making a map that shows the whole journey of the product. This can help companies identify any risks or ways to make things better, and also find ways to be more responsible and sustainable. It involves identifying everyone from the suppliers of the raw materials, to the makers of the product, the people who distribute it, the stores that sell it, and the people who buy it. By understanding the entire process, companies can make things work better, cost less, and be more honest and accountable.

Pet Food Is A Complex Biz

Since the pandemic, the rising cost of shipping and supplies along with the recession-proof demand of pet food has put a strain on every company’s bottom line. So one could make the assumption that aforementioned processes and “strict regulations” are simply loosening so that these various partners can survive.

The Not-So-Fun Ending

Without massive public outcry, I can’t imagine any of these companies will spend significant capital investigating the processes in place to enforce these “strict” guidelines.

Because four years later, the precise route by which sharks entered the pet food supply chain remains a mystery.

Overheard at the coffee shop:

“I just realized that Bluey’s mom works in airport security... and Bluey’s dad is an archaeologist.... Bluey's mom's job is sniffing, and Bluey's dad's job is digging up bones…”

“Right…they’re dogs, Alan.”

- Alan & Wife (?) - New York, New York

The $75 Tasting Menu…For Your Dog.

Say hello to restaurants for dogs.

The Stunt

Classically-trained chef Rahmi Massarweh studied for 20 years at Le Cordon Bleu in San Francisco, and is now paving the way for high-end doggy dining experiences around the world with Dogue.

Located in San Francisco, the dog restaurant and “pawtisserie” boasts a seasonal tasting menu featuring locally-sourced ingredients from nearby family farms. Dishes include bone broth and mosaic chicken, with thin strips of white meat wrapped in nori, layered together and cooked in a water bath. I mean, can humans eat here too or what?

While a $75 tasting menu for your dog sounds crazy, the logic behind it makes sense. From Chef Massarweh, “Essentially it’s a simple philosophy: feed fresh, whole food that is in season and as close to its natural source as possible. Each species in nature has a biologically appropriate set of foods that they are meant to eat. For example, deers and rabbits are herbivores, while bears and mice are omnivores.

Dogs are carnivores that are opportunistic as well. So to honor the species, we need to feed food fit for an opportunistic carnivore. Foods based on the seasons, the quality, and what dogs would naturally hunt for in the wild.”

The Logic

In a recent article by The New York Times,

“Dog menus provide a new revenue source for restaurants. The Wilson, in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, estimates that it serves meals to most of the 30 to 40 dogs that come in every day. A dog entree of steak and vegetables costs $24.

Despite recent inflation, 54 percent of dog owners said they were willing to spend more to provide their dogs with a more nutritious, whole-food diet that aligns more with their household’s health choices, according to a small survey a year ago by Rover, a pet-sitting service. Rover also said that dogs have become a substitute for children in many households.”

Dogue also has bespoke meal plans that can be custom tailored to your dog’s diet, allergies, and protein requirements. There’s no pricing on the site, so it’s probably incredibly expensive.

The Future

We’re still in the early stages of a new era of pet parenthood. Which means we’re all testing how far this whole pet industry can go. I guess you could call it the stunt era. Influencers, business-owners and brands are seemingly retro-fitting dogs into any situation to see what can stick, go viral, or generate news.

So we need trailblazers like Dogue pulling fun stunts like this because in the long run it helps move the pet industry forward, and put the power in the hands of people who won’t contaminate our dog food with shark DNA. (Obviously I’m still really bothered by that entire story…)

Ideas like this tasting menu open millions of people to the possibility of better-sourced ingredients for their dogs, delivered in a very fun, newsworthy way. But this isn’t a path to long-term growth, sustainability or innovation. Every idea like this exists to test the waters of what pet ownership can and should be, so that years down the road maybe we have new sectors within the industry that can all lead to better, healthier alternatives to improve the lives of our pets.

So if a $75-tasting menu is the seed that can sprout into a globally disruptive idea a few years down the line, I’m all for it, especially after that whole shark thing…

“The Squeeze”: Dog News In 60 Seconds

Today’s Last Laugh:

I guess Sapphie didn’t like it.