Feed Our Shelter Dogs Twice Daily! 23 Hours With No Food Is Inhumane!
- by: Patricia S
- recipient: Pasco County Animal Services, Land O' Lakes, Florida and Pasco County Board of County Commissioners, FL.
Pasco County Animal Services shelter dogs are only fed one meal a day! Imagine eating breakfast and then not be able to eat again until the next day! These poor dogs go hungry for hours and hours. They lose weight and deteriorate mentally, emotionally, and physically from the effects of hunger in between meals.
Numerous requests to feed them two times a day have gone ignored by management. Moose is one example of being fed only once a day. It’s heartbreaking!
Read what experts say:
Because dogs have a simple stomach structure (like humans), once the stomach is filled with food, it will empty within a few hours as food moves into the small intestine. After 8 to 10 hours, an empty stomach begins to send signals to the brain stimulating a hunger response. For this reason, at least two meals per day are best for our canine friends. Imagine if you only got to eat breakfast each day, and that was it! Regular, routine feeding times allow your dog’s body to be prepared for the food it will receive. Dogs should eat at least two meals each day, about 12 hours apart. If more than 12 hours elapses between meals, the stomach can become hyper-acidic causing nausea.
(Excerpt: Feeding Times and Frequency for Your Dog, By Robin Downing, DVM, CVPP, CCRP, DAAPM)
Feeding your dog once a day can be downright dangerous, especially for bigger dogs. Once a day feedings are often the cause of bloat, a killer. Bloat is when the stomach fills with gas, which then puts pressure on the diaphragm, making it hard for the dog to breathe. Then, the stomach can twist, causing rapid death.
(Excerpt: www.petmd.com)
Most adult dogs should eat twice a day. This keeps their metabolism stable and aids in digestion. You’ll find they quickly catch on to when feeding time is. A sample dog feeding schedule would be 7:00 a.m. – Breakfast and 6:00 p.m. – Dinner
(Excerpt: Dogster.com)
Let’s put a stop to letting our shelter animals go hungry for hours and hours! Be their voice by signing the petition today! Demand that Pasco County Commissioners and the Pasco County Animal Shelter change the shelter feeding policy to feed animals twice daily at least 6 to 8 hours apart in between feedings.
Update #16 years ago
Thank you for supporting the animals that have only been receiving one meal a day in the Pasco County Animal Services shelter in Land O'Lakes, Fl, (USA). Your signature and sharing of the petition has helped us to receive 869 signatures from all around the world so far, and we are increasingly hopeful that your voices for the animals will be heard! It is our goal for all animals in the Pasco shelter to never again go to bed at night with an empty stomach. Please continue to share the petition.
