The Pawprint Problem

We're hurtling through the sixth mass extinction. Climate plans are failing. And while headlines obsess over fuel and fashion, the conversation rarely lands where it needs to: the food bowl of your companion animal.

You can’t claim to care about the planet and ignore what’s in your companions bowl. In countries like the US, dogs and cats consume at least 20% of all farmed land animals. Yes, 20%. The environmental footprint of pet food is massive and growing, but still somehow missing from climate discourse. That’s not just an oversight - it’s a scandal.

Pet food isn’t just a side dish to the climate crisis. It’s a main course.

The Real Cost of Meat-Based Pet Food

Animal agriculture is one of the biggest drivers of greenhouse gas emissions. It’s responsible for at least 20% of global emissions - some say far more. And it’s not just humans fueling this: our companion animals are heavily implicated too.

Dogs and cats now number around 1 billion globally, and their food isn’t made from thin air. In fact, flesh-based pet food in the US alone is responsible for 25-30% of the environmental impacts of domestic livestock production. That's not a fringe issue. That’s a full-blown climate liability.

And the problem isn’t going away. As incomes rise, birth rates fall, and the pet industry booms, we’re set to see an explosion in companion populations - along with the emissions, land use, and resource depletion that come with it.

The Byproduct Myth

“But it’s just byproducts!” you’ll hear. As if that’s supposed to make it okay.

This myth assumes animals are being killed for humans, and pets are just scavenging the leftovers. That’s not how the industry works. Byproducts are sold. They make up a huge chunk of slaughterhouse profits - over 11% for cow flesh, and 7.5% for pig flesh. Without pet food and other sectors buying these carcass scraps, the slaughter industry wouldn’t be nearly as lucrative.

Feeding pets byproducts often requires more dead animals, not fewer. Because byproducts make up less than half the carcass, you need more animals to feed the same number of pets. It’s not waste. It’s business. It's exploitation.

Pet Food is Propping Up the Slaughter Industry

The pet food industry is keeping factory farms afloat. It’s not reducing waste. It’s helping fund the slaughter of animals by the billions - many just to be minced, dried, and packed into a foil bag for your spaniel.

And don’t think cats and dogs are just a small cog in this system. Globally, they’re responsible for consuming a number of animals that would make even the most committed carnivore blush. The environmental impacts of feeding one large dog meat-based food? Higher than the average Japanese person’s entire carbon footprint.

This isn’t just unsustainable. It’s absurd.

Vegan Pet Food: The Tipping Point

Now here’s the good news. We can change this - radically and fast.

Nutritionally complete plantbased pet foods already exist. Dogs thrive on them. Cats can, too, with properly formulated diets containing all the essentials like taurine. The British Veterinary Association has finally dropped its unscientific opposition to vegan dog food. And multiple studies confirm what guardians have known for years: well-planned plantbased diets for dogs and cats are safe, effective, and in many cases healthier.

And the environmental benefits? Huge. Transitioning the world’s dogs to plantbased diets would save more emissions than the entire UK produces. It would free up enough food energy to feed 450 million people. Six billion land animals wouldn’t need to be bred, confined, and killed every year. Add cats, and that’s another billion saved.

The Industry is Already Shifting

The market knows what’s coming. Vegan pet food was worth $10.3 billion in 2024. It’s projected to nearly double by 2034. Supermarkets are stocking it. Biotech companies are creating cultivated flesh just for companions. Precision-fermented proteins are already on shelves with environmental impacts even lower than plant-based food.

People are catching on. Because once you see what flesh-based pet food really is - an industrialised, animal-killing, climate-wrecking operation hiding behind cute packaging - you can’t unsee it.

Still Think It’s Just a Personal Choice?

Feeding your companion aanimals flesh isn't neutral. It props up an industry of slaughter. It releases enormous amounts of greenhouse gases. It competes for the same food resources that could feed millions of starving humans.

And don’t pretend the answer is just “feed them less.” Overfeeding is a problem, yes — but the sheer numbers of dogs and cats worldwide, and what we feed them, are the real drivers. Portion control won’t solve systemic exploitation.

So, What Needs to Happen?

1. Transition dogs and cats to nutritionally complete plantbased diets. Not tomorrow - now. If you’re unsure, start by swapping 50% of their food and go from there.

2. Adopt, don’t shop. Every purchased animal increases demand. Rescue is the way forward.

3. Use your platform. Whether you’re a vet, influencer, or just someone with an internet connection - start talking about this.

4. Support innovation. Cultivated and fermented alternatives are coming fast. Back the brands disrupting the slaughter status quo.

5. Stop lying to yourself. If you recognise that animal farming is wrong, you can’t keep supporting it through your companions dinner.

No More Excuses

We have the science. We have the food. We have the tools. What we’re lacking is courage - and honesty.

The climate is collapsing. Animals are dying. The flesh industry is clinging to survival by squeezing profit from every available channel - including your companion.

You want to do the right thing? Start with what you’re pouring into that bowl.