Is Kangaroo Meat Right For Your Pet?

Is Kangaroo Meat Right For Your Pet?

Us Aussies are all proud to be associated with the mighty Kangaroo. They're all unique, full of personality and a deeply ingrained part of Aussie culture. Undeniably, they are also a part of our eating culture, too. 

Eating the hopper might be a bit of a controversial topic but we wanted to address it and explain why we sell the Wild Kangaroo and Beetroot pet food blend. Let's explore the idea. 


Kangaroo is a unique tasting and richly nutrient meat product: it's high concentration of iron, low fat content, impressive omega-3 and omega-6 supply and twice the protein of the classic beef, pig or poultry cut, makes kangaroo a good choice for health nuts. It also has that unique gamey and earthy taste and well-muscled texture that makes it a fun challenge for the adventurous cook. For us, the appeal also lies in the environmental impact of kangaroo. To eat wild-caught kangaroo means to reduce the need for deforested land, water to feed and breed them, and less chemicals from their feed and waste disrupting the precious soil and water ecosystems. With a smaller carbon footprint, even replacing one meal of beef with kangaroo can improve the health and wealth of the planet. 

All of this to say, there are certainly benefits to eating the Australian hopper. But we sympathise with the people who are concerned by the culling of kangaroos, a precious symbol of Australian culture and wildlife.

Kangaroo culling has historical been approved by the Australian government, due to their pest status. Kangaroos are kind of like another hopper in Australia, rabbits, that breed very well in the wild. Then, they knock down farmer's fences, ruin farming infrastructure and disrupt crops. Due to this disruption, the Australian government released permits to allow a number of Australian folks to hunt and kill kangaroos. 

It's not all as dreary as it seems: the government wanted to ensure there was a balance. There was a limit on kills and a contingency of humane kills to prevent suffering. A common issue with this kind of action from the Government is that it's very hard to police people all across the country. Also, young baby kangaroos are caught in the cross-fires and either abandoned to starve to death or killed like their mother. Just like slaughtering farm animals, there are considerations that must be taken to preserve the welfare of the species.

Nowadays, killings are subject to the local law, and farmers or other relevant folks can call for advice from local governments on how to move forward. 

Many people across Australia do not agree with the mass killing of our country's national animal. Many would argue it is not only an animal rights issue, but an issue of safety: many of the kangaroo meat products around Australia have showed signs of dangerous bacteria on supermarket shelves. 

With the possible downsides in mind, we were careful about the way we introduced kangaroo meat into our food blends. We believe the Wild Kangaroo and Beetroot blend is an important option for dogs with allergies, with obesity, any that are highly active or that are transitioning from working dog life to retirement. To ensure we were introducing this option ethically and safely, we did two things: 

Firstly, we work with a company which upholds our tenants of animal welfare and environmental sustainability when producing kangaroo product. They carefully design the location of their wild catch and their yield. They do not harvest more than they need and are aware of breeding season and population. We receive the animal in-store and break it down by hand, ensuring we're using as much of the meat as possible. Our Wild Kangaroo and Beetroot food packs use organ, muscle and bone to benefit from all the nutrients, proteins and vitamins found in different areas of the body and to reduce the impact of meat production on the environment.

Secondly, our kangaroo meat is human-grade and tested for disease, upholding all standards of food safety. We work closely with the meat in the shop to ensure that there's no spoiled or ruined meat going into our pet food blends. This kangaroo meat is the same we'd sell on the shelves for you to eat!

It's important for you to consider and decide if kangaroo meat is right for your pet. If you're not interested, we have plenty of other blends including beef, fish and chicken that could work instead. Head over to the shop tab to check out our different blends and their ingredients lists!

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