GREEN TRIPE
I felt compelled to send a response to Patricia Coale’s letter (in the August 2008 issue) about the article on green tripe (“How Green Is Your Tripe?” July 2008). I wholeheartedly agree with her that the community in which we live is absolutely unaware of the atrocities committed to factory farm animals. I have actually assisted an animal rights activist to help get Proposition 2, the Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act, on the 2008 California ballot.
I introduce myself in this manner to only illustrate that I too, have quite a bit of knowledge in the treatment of farm animals. I also agree with Patricia that maybe Whole Dog Journal could add a comment about the source of the meat in products they recommend. The source for products such as green tripe is the main reason why these foods have such a positive benefit.
Whole Dog Journal promotes a holistic approach to dog care. I would also assume that the target audience for the newsletter has a very high regard for all animals, not just their dogs; these subscribers are seeking a healthier approach to caring for their canine family members. This is what I’ve found in the short time I’ve been a subscriber.
Additionally, I found that most of the suppliers I contacted from the resources Whole Dog Journal listed in the green tripe article, worked only with suppliers who provided the animals with a free-range environment and organic feed. This was apparent just by scanning the list of suppliers in the resources section. Many companies described themselves as raising pasture-based and/or organically grown cattle.
In talking with the suppliers of green tripe listed in Whole Dog Journal’s article, I learned that they all felt that using meat from a factory farm was not an option, due to the chemical processing/health concerns with these animals. The people from these companies seemed intent on promoting the benefits of using meat from farms where the animals were humanly treated. Please note that I do know there are companies that will jump on the raw food/green tripe bandwagon for the purpose of profit and use unhealthy meat sources that treat animals cruelly. My comments about the “all natural sources” are based on the resources Whole Dog Journal has provided, not companies across the board.
Caroline
via e-mail
GRASS IS GREAT
Thanks so much for your article on grass-fed and pasture-fed beef (“Grass-Fed Is Greener,” September 2008). As you are aware, there are many producers that package and ship beef across the country. We have a small family farm and raise our beef cattle with individual attention and care for local consumption. Most of our cattle are sold as breeding stock to other breeders. However, we also sell grass-fed beef raised right outside our house to individuals for their own and their animals’ consumption.
It would be a valuable service to your readers to provide a list of local grass fed beef producers to enable dog owners to locate a provider in their area. I’m sure there are many people who are interested in local sources of grass-fed beef. We would be happy to help concerned dog owners obtain a natural product for themselves and their pets at a very competitive price. Our website is kcgrassfedbeef.com.
Kaye Fuller, DVM, and Roger Fuller
Owners, KC Grass Fed Beef
Rather than list farms – which might be longer than we could run –we gave the contact information (in the Resources section of the article) for groups that publish lists of grass-fed and/or organic sources for meat, dairy, and poultry products. Thanks for writing! We love hearing from farmers who have dogs and produce grass-fed meats for dogs and dog owners!
GOOD, NOT GREAT
A very rarely write letters to the editor but this one, about your editorial in the September issue (“Guilty Pleasure”), I had to send. I wish that you had chosen to be involved in the development of this show because as a dog owner I am very disappointed in it. The three judges invariably have harsh comments for each contestant and dog and offer no suggestions of how they could have accomplished the task differently.
We need people who understand that dogs are not people, and they need socialization and training. I agree with the judges that positive rewards yield higher gains than negative methods, but they fail each week to impart any suggestions of how things could be done differently. I agree with you that the show is cute, but it provides little value (like all reality shows) in how to accomplish positive training with your dog and have a good, fun, productive, four-legged member of your family and society.
Laura Jenkins
Via e-mail
I, too, wish the show included even just a tiny bit of instruction on positive training and tips on canine body language, especially the signs of canine stress!
I see I am not the only one; CBS’s Greatest American Dog is my guilty pleasure, too! It has been really interesting watching the dogs and handlers, seeing nervous behavior sometimes, wonderful compliance at other times, and seeing where certain dogs excel. The varying styles of the handlers has been very interesting, too. Of course, I have my favorite pairs! When the challenges are given, it is fun to ponder how I might guide my dog in similar circumstances.
Very creative and fun show!
Carolyn & Maggie
Via e-mail
