Dog and cat owners in Britain are feeding their pets too much high-calorie junk food — so much, in fact, that they're creating an "obesity crisis." Animal nonprofit group PDSA warned today that one in three dogs and one in four cats in Britain are extremely overweight because their owners are feeding them fatty scraps and too many treats.
Nearly 10 million pets are at risk of early death and various diseases if their owners don't stop. The PDSA said that pet owners are likely transferring their unhealthy eating habits to their animals, erroneously thinking that extra treats will make their pets happy. To combat the problem, PDSA launched its annual Pet Fit Club dieting contest to encourage owners to feed their animals a healthy amount of food. Last year, a Jack Russell terrier named Ruby was crowned the biggest loser when she shed 20 pounds off her weight.
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