Tell the AZA—No Feeding Pets to Zoo Animals

A Zoo in Denmark is asking the public to donate unwanted pets to be killed and fed to lions, tigers, and other predators. While we understand that carnivorous zoo animals must be fed, this practice crosses a moral line that should never be blurred.

Companion animals—rabbits, guinea pigs, chickens, horses, and others—are members of families, and develop bonds and lead individual lives. Inviting the public to hand them over to a zoo for euthanasia opens the door to abuse, encourages people to dispose of healthy animals, and undermines the value we place on the human–animal bond. 

It normalizes the idea that pets are disposable, which is dangerous and profoundly wrong.

Supporters of the idea say it’s “natural” and “humane,” that predators get whole carcasses and nothing goes to waste. But just because something is part of nature doesn’t mean it belongs in a zoo’s feeding policy. Our zoos should model compassion and responsibility, not shock the public with controversial stunts that erode trust.

There are far better ways to provide healthy, enriching diets for predators without resorting to pet donations. Zoos can work with certified, ethical suppliers who raise and source feed animals under strict welfare standards, or use other safe and humane alternatives. We should be innovating solutions that reflect both respect for the lives of predators and the dignity of companion animals—not looking for loopholes to dispose of pets in the name of “natural feeding.”

We’re calling on the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) to take a clear stand: prohibit member zoos from ever adopting pet donation programs for feed, and commit to humane, responsibly sourced diets that the public can support.

Zoo animals deserve quality care. Pets deserve our protection. And the public deserves to know that the institutions we trust with wildlife aren’t normalizing the killing of companion animals. Please sign the petition to tell the AZA—draw the line and prohibit member zoos from accepting donated pets as food sources for their animals.