This vegan couple was convicted of animal abuse for undernourished their two dogs

An Australian couple was convicted of undernourished their two dogs on a very poor vegan diet which led to a number of serious health problems.

A Queensland couple will not be able to have pets for the next three years and will have to pay a fine of nearly A $ 9.000. The reason? Having inadequately fed his two dogs Roo and Ula, two Bull Arabs, following a very poor vegan diet which led to a series of serious health problems.

The facts date back to the spring of last year, but for James and Megan - who live north of Cairns - the sentence has arrived just in recent days.

What happened to the two puppies

Following some inspections by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) of Queensland, it emerged that the two puppies Roo and Ula were fed on a diet exclusively based on chickpeas, quinoa, rice and cereals. Thus, last May the two dogs were kidnapped and subjected to veterinary treatment. As explained by Dr Paul Matthews, who visited them, the two puppies were severely undernourished and suffering from a significant calcium deficiency.

“Eat animals killed, you will never be like us. We are vegan and we love animals, ”James told one of the inspectors who took the puppies away.

While Ula managed to recover easily, there was nothing for Roo to do. In fact, due to his poor health, the vets - worried about his permanent pain that would make his life hell - decided to opt for euthanasia.

During one of the first visits, the two owners told the RSPCA inspector that Roo had injured his hind leg when he jumped off the sofa. But, despite the accident, the couple had chosen not to take the puppy to the vet (for economic reasons) and had made a homemade cast thanks to some tutorials seen on the Internet. From that moment on, poor Roo struggled to stand on his paws and began to suffer from blisters that appeared on his stomach from the plaster he rubbed in that area. But the dog was also visibly undernourished. Hence the suspicions of the RSPCA inspectors who, searching the pantry and the refrigerator, found only lentils, rice, quinoa and cereals intended for the two dogs. In fact, in the house there was no trace of food for animals, as also confirmed by the same vegan couple for some time.

It took about three months of inadequate diet to cause severe nutritional imbalances in both puppies, which for one was even fatal. The couple was therefore convicted of animal abuse and will no longer be able to keep other pets at home for the next three years. Ula, on the other hand, is back in shape thanks to veterinary care and has been entrusted to a new Australian family.

This vegan couple was convicted of animal abuse for undernourished their two dogs

@RSPCA Queensland

Vegan food for dogs: yes or no?

The story that took place in Australia reopens the long-standing debate on the possibility of feeding your dog exclusively with plant foods. This is an extremely delicate and complex issue, which still divides the veterinary community today as there is a lack of scientific evidence on the subject.

For people who have chosen a vegan diet, the fact of giving food of animal origin to their dog can be experienced as a huge contradiction, but we must not forget that dogs have very different needs than humans. And in case you want to opt for the legitimate (but still much debated) choice of one vegetable diet for your dog, you should always rely on a veterinarian to integrate all the nutrients necessary for your body, something that the Australian couple did not do, who even chose to treat their dog at home after a paw fracture.

This whole absurd story, rather than being part of the veg yes / veg no controversy, reminds us how dangerous do-it-yourself can be when it comes to pet health and more.

Source: ABC News /RSPCA Queensland