Statement Regarding Mad Cow Disease

In Regards to Prion Disease

(Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy or BSE)

Three Dog Bakery has recently experienced more inquiries from customers about mad cow disease (bovine spongiform encephalopathy) and the risk that transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TMEs) might pose to their pets.

TMEs affect a wide variety of animals including ruminants such as cows, sheep, elk, and deer; but also non-ruminants such as humans, cats, mink, and several other species. To date there are no reports of either domestic or wild canines being affected although the reasons are unknown. While little is known about the disease, the current thought suggests it is caused not by bacteria or viruses but by abnormally shaped proteins called prions. Unfortunately this means that methods used to cook commercial pet foods will not kill/inactivate this agent. The most common method of transmission of this disease is by eating the tissues of infected ruminants (cows, sheep, deer and elk). Specifically, the tissues that are most at risk for transmitting this disease are the brain, central nervous tissue (including the spinal cord), and the distal intestine.

Three Dog Bakery does not purchase or use any ingredients for its products from ruminants (cows or sheep), and instead uses chicken for an animal protein source in its foods. Since consumption of affected ruminants is believed to be the primary mode of transmission of this disease to other animals (both other ruminants and other species), this means that, based on current knowledge, consumption of Three Dog Bakery Products would not put any pet at risk for developing any TME. In fact, the chicken that Three Dog Bakery purchases is an edible, 100% human-quality ingredient, as are all of our ingredients. Not only does this mean that one cannot find any “meals,” byproducts, digests, or rendered animals in any of our products, it also means that our ingredients were not condemned for human consumption, which is a common quality of many pet foods.

We also believe consumers should understand that the governing body of the pet food Industry, American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), allows pet food companies to label a product as “Natural Wonderful with Pork” as long as the product contains 3% or more of pork. Even so, one has to read the ingredient legend carefully, since it is perfectly legal to include beef or another ruminant in the product as well in addition to the pork, without disclosing it on the front label.

Additionally, while we applaud the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) December 30th ban on the slaughter and sale of non-ambulatory cattle for food—which means that dying and diseased animals will no longer be in the human food chain—we are concerned that these animals can still be used for pet food. Even when these animals were destined for human food, only a small percentage were tested for prion disease; and it is not clear if they will be tested at all when they are processed for pet food or feed.

At Three Dog Bakery, we use only chicken; and when we label our products, we carefully state “100% Human-Quality Ingredients for Dogs.”

We understand the consumer’s concern; and based on the current body of scientific evidence, Three Dog Bakery’s products are not a potential carrier of any of the known prion diseases.

Sincerely,

Dan Dye & Mark Beckloff, Founders