I've been a vegetarian for 23 years and my meat eating friends find it very strange that I feed my dogs meat, particularly raw.

Having just recently ordered a couple of lambs heads for my lot, I've had some very odd comments like 'are you not a veggie anymore, or, even I wouldn't feed my dogs that & I eat meat'.

I resist the temptation to point out that these are a by product of the lamb chops etc that they eat. So maybe as part of the chain that creates the 'lambs heads' THEY should be feeding their dogs these.

I'm quite intrigued with this.
I daren't put my dog on one as my mum is adament dog's are carnivores and 'want something meaty' (she gives her sausages etc. when i'm at uni because Millie is on dry food - it's 'not meaty' :@ and she thinks she knows best yet i'm doing a degree in animal behaviour/welfare and she used to ignore her dogs in the garden back in the '90's and not walk them.

Sorry to go off a little - it just annoys me lol
Some of these answers are interesting though

If I felt strongly about feeding meat in any form I wouldn't have a dog.

I have rabbits and guinea pigs who are vegetarian animals but I wouldn't feed Whisper a vegetarian diet.

I have tried the Happidog kibble (for my pet rats, not for Whisper lol) and it was not something I'd particularly want to feed my dog tbh. It had a lot of grain in. The rats weren't all that fussed about it either!

Whilst it probably can be done I wouldn't want to do it myself. I wish Whisper would eat bones as they would be great for her teeth. I personally hate the smell / texture of raw meat and we eat mostly Quorn products or meat from a local, ethical butcher. But I simply want to do what is best for Whisper which means I would happily go into a Butchers (I hate them! ) to get her bones etc if she'd eat them. And I want to move her on to some form of raw as soon as I can as again, I feel it is best for *her* and that's what matters most to me.

I do agree that the battery farming / meat farming industry is a horrible one but at the same time I fully understand that when money is tight it isn't always easy to go out and buy ethically no matter what you may want to do.

With only one dog and no children I suppose I can afford to be a little bit more choosy when it comes to Whisper's diet. But not everyone has that luxury.

But isn't that the point,we agonise over our dogs welfare but it comes at a cost. By sweeping it under the carpet and sanitising it doesn't make it go away. Whatever our excuses we are responsible.

Ijru and Han Lou have some great points. I'm veggie but I feed my dog meat. I also feed my family meat-although I try to be careful and we mainly eat veggie. I wish we had the money to buy 'guilt' free meat same as I wish I could buy the best dog food. My instinct says dogs shouldn't be made to be veggie but the arguments for the dry foods have strong points. (they may loose out on treat and chews tho??) there's no right or wrong I guess just the freedom to chose

Remember, most dry foods contain (some) meat and the majority of that is not ethically sourced either!

No agonising really there. If I felt so strongly about feeding meat I would only have vegetarian pets.

You can take the vegetarian argument where you want to - but if you take any form of medication (which I do) you too are guilty of 'using' animals. And probably animals that suffered far more than those used in cheap meat.

I used to agonise over lots of things welfare-wise but I soon realised that one decision that initially appears to be in favour of animals may have negative effects elsewhere or may not be as good as you thought so I keep a middle line now as I honestly do believe it's virtually impossible to live entirely ethically.

But I would only have vegetarian pets if I felt very strongly about feeding meat. Each to their own.

I would rather either pay more, or spend time finding a butcher who sells scrap meat of ethically sourced animals... than feed my dog a totally unnatural diet.

I don't know why people would choose to own an animal which they do not want to feed in a natural way...

Two wrongs don't make a right. I cannot understand the passion against trying to do the right thing. Each to their own but to me doing some good is better than none.

What do you see as 'doing the right thing'?