The hidden welfare costs in pet food production, and how conscious pet owners can make better choices
The global pet food industry consumes enormous quantities of animal protein — estimated at 20+ million tonnes per year. This creates a significant but often overlooked welfare dimension: the animals that become pet food are largely subject to the same welfare failures as animals in conventional food systems. Understanding what goes into pet food, and the welfare conditions of those animals, is an important part of the animal welfare picture for anyone who cares about their pets and the animals in the food system.
Pet owners who care about animal welfare face a genuine dilemma: their companion animals often require or thrive on animal-based protein, yet the animals providing that protein may be living in poor welfare conditions. This creates a layered problem — loving one animal while contributing to the suffering of others. There are no perfect solutions, but informed choices can meaningfully reduce the harm. The key is understanding the landscape and making the most welfare-conscious choices available.
| Ingredient | Primary Source | Welfare Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicken meal/by-products | Battery cage and broiler chickens | High Concern | Often sourced from conventional broiler or layer operations with documented welfare issues |
| Fish meal | Wild-caught forage fish | High Concern | Billions of sentient fish caught without stunning; sustainability and welfare concerns combined |
| Salmon (wet food) | Farmed Atlantic salmon | Moderate Concern | Welfare varies by farm; sea lice, crowding, and slaughter methods are main issues |
| Beef by-products | Conventional cattle | Moderate Concern | Feedlot conditions vary; by-products often from animals with better mobility than intensive poultry |
| Pork by-products | Intensive pig farming | High Concern | Gestation crates, tail docking, and intensive confinement are prevalent in supply chains |
| Tuna/white fish | Wild-caught commercial fisheries | High Concern | No stunning; large bycatch mortality; consciousness at slaughter well-documented in large fish |
| Insect protein (emerging) | BSF, mealworms, crickets | Uncertain | Welfare status uncertain; lower probability of suffering per unit protein than vertebrates |
| Plant protein supplements | Legumes, grains | Low Concern | No direct animal welfare issues; suitable as supplement or base for some formulations |
| Certified welfare ingredients | Higher-welfare certified farms | Improved | ASC, RSPCA Assured, and similar certifications indicate improved but not perfect welfare |
Cats are obligate carnivores and require taurine, arachidonic acid, and preformed vitamin A from animal sources. This makes truly vegan diets medically risky without careful supplementation. However, this doesn't mean welfare-indifferent choices are necessary:
Dogs are omnivores and can thrive on carefully formulated plant-based diets, offering more flexibility for welfare-conscious pet owners:
Fish meal is a major hidden welfare issue in pet food. Forage fish (anchovies, sardines, herring) are caught in massive quantities to be processed into meal and oil. The key welfare and sustainability concerns:
The pet food industry is at the forefront of alternative protein innovation:
The next decade may see a significant transformation in pet food's welfare footprint. Several converging trends point in a positive direction:
Check if brands publish welfare sourcing standards. Avoid brands with heavy fish meal ingredients or no welfare sourcing policy.
For dogs: explore veterinary-supervised plant-based or insect-protein diets. For cats: look for certified welfare brands and minimize fish-based products.
Email your pet food company asking about their animal welfare sourcing standards. Consumer pressure drives corporate change in the pet food sector.
Support organizations working on cultivated meat and alternative protein for pets. The Good Food Institute has a pet food program worth following.