Take Two translates the day’s headlines for Southern California, making sense of the news and cultural events that affect our lives. Produced by Southern California Public Radio and broadcast from October 2012 – June 2021. Hosted by A Martinez.
L.A. city's Animal Services Commission is considering a proposal that would switch shelter dogs away from meat-based kibble towards vegan food.
It was proposed by board member Roger Wolfson.
"This idea that L.A. Animal Services could stop supporting the killing of farm animals just to feed dogs that no one questions are omnivores, thereby having our small department do its part in protecting the environment, it seemed like a no brainer," he said at last Tuesday's commission meeting.
Daily Breeze reporter Donna Littlejohn adds that Wolfson and his supporters in the audience believe there are other benefits, too.
"He feels that a vegan diet is much healthier for dogs," she says. "The jury's a little bit out on it, it's very new. But there are some vegan commercial dog foods available now, however, and some dogs apparently do quite well on it."
There are a number of scenarios in which this could happen. One idea is to pilot a program at one of LA's six animal shelters.
But the commission's board will spend the next 60 days looking over the research and talking with experts to determine if it's a viable move.
The next board meeting for the commission is January 9th at LA city hall.