Pets are heroes!!!
By
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Shira D
© Keith Arnold / WWF-US
Introduction
In 2024, WWF kicked off work to examine the potential of using market forces to fight invasive species. This work, led by Julia Kurnik, Senior Director for Innovation Startups at WWF, started by examining carp and the pet food industry. Invasive carp (including silver, grass, black, and bighead carp) were intentionally introduced into US riverways in the 1970s to clean aquaculture retention ponds, but they quickly escaped into the Mississippi River. With no natural predators, they proliferated. Today, some estimates suggest that carp may constitute up to 95% of biomass in parts of the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers. These fish are outcompeting native fish for food, thereby breaking the larger food web, decimating water quality, and causing significant economic harm to the Midwest. But our pets have the chance to help address this threat by eating these tasty fish.
Carp are highly nutritious with a very mild flavor, but are also extremely bony, making it difficult to cleanly filet the fish. This limits demand for human consumption in the US but doesn’t pose the same hurdle for the pet food industry. In fact, as growth in pet food demand shows signs of outpacing the availability of human food byproducts, carp could provide a healthy, environmentally friendly option for cats and dogs. In a recent Phase I report, WWF examined current pet food supply chains, the potential for carp in the industry, what environmental benefits might accrue from sourcing the fish, and innovative business models to boost economic development.
As Julia worked on this project, her children, Shira and Asher, were eager to ask lots of questions and explore the potential of pets as heroes. They selflessly fed carp snacks to their dog (Peaches) and two cats (Oreo and Blackberry), carefully noting how quickly the treats disappeared. When a chance came up to “gather more data” by heading to a pet shelter to hand out a variety of carp treats, pet-loving Shira and Asher pleaded to go along. Inspired by the experience, and out of her deep desire to see more pets find forever homes (especially Kokomo, who she tried to take home), Shira wrote a blog about the project and her own shelter experience.
My pets are heroes!!
If you want your pets to be heroes too, I will tell you how!
Carp is an invasive species that is really affecting the ecosystem around them. You can help stop that! You wanna know how? Buy carp pet treats! Both cats and dogs love them (especially the dogs). They are like small crackers, plus they are healthy!
And if you don’t have a pet? You should get one! I know it sounds like a lot of work, but it isn’t actually that much. Plus, you are being a hero too! The reason I say that is because lots of animals don’t have homes, and those numbers are getting larger, year by year. So, it is really nice to pets and the people who work at the shelter.
© Keith Arnold / WWF-US
The place I went to about a week ago is called Humane Rescue Alliance. As part of my mom’s work, I went and fed carp treats to cat and dogs. They loved them! And the pets were heroes because they ate the carp!! HRA has many pets there that need homes! I did meet some pets that I loved and wanted to keep, but sadly I couldn’t. But, maybe you can! My very favorite dog there was Kokomo. She is a very large 6-year-old dog. She may be big, but she is so friendly! We were trying to get photos and my brother gave a carp treat to her too fast, so she let him pull it right back out of her mouth!
My second favorite, Coco, is a small dog. She instantaneously loved my friend who came, too. I asked my 6-year-old brother what he thought, and he said: ’’My favorite dog was also Kokomo. The carp eat other fish that they are not supposed to eat.‘’
© Keith Arnold / WWF-US
We also saw some cats!
The first was a cat named Marriane. She was a bit too scared though. The second was Sailboat, who had never been out of his cage, but was pretty calm. He thought the carp treats were delicious.
Now you know how to make your pet a hero, too, and where to find some carp for them!
© Keith Arnold / WWF-US