American Bird Flu Update

TL;DR: This Isn't Our Fault.

Unlike this winter image of our dogs, our dog packs ARE out in the fields, and we have a few beautiful canines in the barn getting ready to exhibit at the State Fair.

An update on the American bird flu situation:

If you missed it, a farm worker caught bird flu from one of our meat dogs. But this isn't our fault! YES, we feed our dogs ground-up chicken waste. But just as with cattle, poultry litter is an ACCEPTABLE source of protein for meat dogs.

How did this happen?

A better question is: Why do we feed our dogs chicken waste?

• It's inexpensive.

• It's more nutritious than pig feces or cattle dung

• It does not seem to affect the taste of the subsequent milk or meat.

• And more!

(We're just grateful we're not in the EU or UK where feeding meat dogs proteins from other animals is regulated. What a headache.)

Chicken waste is a legal, inexpensive protein source for meat dogs.

Elwood's will be FINE

For those worried about the farm, we will be fine. Yes, we had to slaughter entire packs—and there was that brief but alarming spike in the price of pom eggs—but luckily, the government (i.e. you!) are making us whole again. We're so grateful to be paid upfront for the dogs killed through culling rather than those that die from the disease!

And for those wondering, this isn't our first cull AND all cullings on Elwood's are legal and humane. We simply turn up the heat in our barns, which house thousands of dogs and puppies. This gentle method causes a respectful heatstroke. Some folks say the dogs suffer, be we counter: when was the last time you were in a sauna? Pure relaxation.

An inevitable part of this business

For every person who whimpers that it's concerning for a human to catch bird flu, or that tightly packed dog meat farms could be incubating the next deadly flu, or that the H5N1 virus (which has killed millions of birds & wild mammals around the world) could then go on to pigs (whose biology is more similar to humans), or who claim *60+% of infectious diseases & 75% of new or emerging infectious diseases are zoonotic [animal] in origin—we're going to eat twice as much pug bacon.

Because let's face the facts: zoonotic diseases are an inevitable part of this business.

We know most of you have our backs. But it is still sad to see the activists and the naysayers try to use this to denigrate us.

We are fulfilling demand safely.

We continue to use sustainable regenerative farming practices.

We are feeding America.

We are out there every day trying our best to bring you delicious and healthy dog meat.

We will not give up.

Thank you to our supporters.

Place your orders now!

ElwoodDogmeat.com