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MAY 23, 2007--After the pet food scare where millions of people across North America feared for the safety of their animal friends, they woke up and realized they knew jack-all about the industrial system that was supposed to be taking care of them. So it's welcome news to see a cookbook that shows you how to make your own dog food - this is a perfect way to bring 100-Mile Diet values into the food your best friend eats. Australian Jamie Young, author of the just-released Grrrrowlicious Food for Hungry Dogs (Whitecap), dishes on his favourite subject. Alisa: How can making your own dog food fit into the local foodeconomy? Jamie: Making your own dog food will always help the local food economy. You're buying local produce from local farmers rather than a can offood that you have no idea which factory and in what country thefood was made . . . not only that you don't know where theingredients come from and what ingredients are used. The best dietfor any animal or human is a varied, fresh food diet. Alisa:How does the pet food industry influence messages about what is healthiest to feed our pets? Jamie: This has really bugged me. In Australia the pet food industry is soclosely tied to the vets. There isn't a vet surgery that doesn'tsell and promote processed food. They make money from it so ofcourse they will promote it . . . but at what cost? Almost 100 percent ofdogs and cats that are fed processed food end up with gum disease,which causes all sorts of problems. Yet there is no independent forum to voice these concerns. The Australian vets on TV are all sponsored or employed by the pet food industry. They all blocked my book from appearing on any program. There is also never any mention about the effects of using processed food as your dogs' diet in any animal program . . . how can there be when the advertising dollars are so huge and there is so much to lose! Alisa: In light of the recent melamine contamination of pet food, tell me about the importance of knowing where your dog chow comes from, and what's in it. Jamie: The recent scare of the melamine contamination and the arrest of a Chinese man at the factory where it all started only highlights how people who use canned or dry food have no control or understanding of how the food is made or what goes into it. By shopping for local produce you have the chance to ask questions about how the food was made and what has gone into the production process. Do they use chemicals? What sort of feed do they supply their animals, is it free range, organic? The factory in China at the centre of the scare, do they also produce fertilizer and plastics? That's what melamine is used for! Why would you want your food produced in such an environment? Our dogs rely on us to make the right decisions about what sort of food to use. Can we really let them down? * To start your dog on its way, Jamie has supplied a sample recipe from Grrrowlicious that people in most parts of North America should be able to make with local ingredients. Chicken Meatballs 1 kg minced chicken or pork 1 cup breadcrumbs 4 eggs, lightly beaten 100 g parmesan cheese 2 cloves garlic 1 handful of parsley, chopped Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celcius. Blend all ingredients in a food processor. Transfer mixture into a bowl. Wet your hands to stop mixture from sticking and form into small balls. Place in the oven on a tray lined with baking paper and cook for 15-20 minutes. Serve just warm.

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