Far East of Eden

Now that China has moved from communism to capitalism, perhaps we can all agree they won, we lost, in the world-domination sweepstakes. Back in the McCarthy era, we all feared this day, but expected it to come in the form of Soviets and Chinese swarming our shores and killing us all in our sleep. Instead, we are left to worry about tainted dog food and treats.

 

An astounding number of companies have issued recall notices for their pet foods, including some of the most highly touted (and highly priced) organic brands. Melamine was found in several types of kibble; most recently it’s been the chicken used for jerky treats. Plenty of other ingredients have raised concerns—wheat gluten, cornmeal, soy protein, etc.—but there is one common denominator: all have swarmed our shores from China.

 

No xenophobe, I just worry about edibles, dog or human, exported from a country that quickly learned corruption is the bread to capitalism’s butter. In their defense, I must commend China for executing corrupt officials (hear that, Bernie Madoff?), but the firing squads don’t seem to be slowing the onslaught of less-than-savory ingredients finding their way into our dogs’ munchies.
I would like to claim the high ground here and let all know that Little Pup Lodge guests do not eat any food or treats not made in the USA. It’s true, but so what? Just because the biscuit or bison jerky or peanut butter cookie is assembled here, that’s no guarantee that the added preservatives, minerals or vitamins didn’t come from the Far East.

In addition to laundry, housecleaning, dog walking and blogging, it now seems I need to add a couple more tasks on the to-do list: hunt buffalo and dig up a good recipe for jerky.