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Aylmer can bone-up on pet nutrition

Local Aylmerite Amélie Boisvenu is organizing a seminar to raise awareness on pet nutrition. The idea came after she attended a similar seminar in La Pêche, hosted by France Turcotte of Valley Boxer and Mastiff Rescue.

Turcotte is an expert in pet nutrition, and Boisvenu was surprised to learn about some of the things that end up in the mainstream brands. Without naming names, Boisvenu gave some examples of things that go into some pet foods. Ingredients such as sawdust and crushed beetles can be passed off as “extra fibre” and “natural food colouring”.  

In 2013, a major pet food manufacturer had to recall 106 lots of cat and dog food due to salmonella contamination, while in 2014, another recalled all of its 55-pound bags of dog chow due to the presence of metal fragments. “There is so much information on dog food that you don’t hear about,” Boisvenu said.

Boisvenu is planning a three-hour seminar in Aylmer so that local dog owners can learn about their pet’s nutritional needs.  She wants to hold a wine and cheese at 220 rue Front, hosted by France Turcotte.  Tickets will be around $30 and should go fast because the seminar will be restricted to about 25 people.

“Pet-owners can hear what Turcotte has to say,” Boisvenu said. “After, they will be able to talk to Turcotte about their dogs and find out exactly what kind of nutrition is best for their breed (and their circumstances).”