Tanith Carey dismisses the myths about dogs needing meat, and argues that we could help save the planet by switching our pets to a plant-based diet

Trigger warning: if you’re already irritated by the number of people around you going plant-based for Veganuary, look away now. Because there’s a growing argument that the UK’s nine million dogs should be joining them.

Now get ready to get really annoyed, because I’m proud to report that my six-year-old cockapoo Honey is already among them and hasn’t eaten meat for 18 months. Not that she knows the difference. She still gets sausages, dog treats and a mix of dry and wet foods, certified to contain the same range of nutrients and vitamins as the meat-based versions she used to eat.

These foods look, and presumably taste, the same, as she gobbles them up with the same gusto. Plus she has the thick, glossy coat and puppyish bounce she’s always had. The only difference is that what’s in her dog bowl is not the rendered remains of some poor beast, like a pig, who may be more intelligent, but ended up on the losing side of our confused attitude to animals.

Despite the fury the subject of vegan pets incites, it seems I’m not the only dog-lover questioning the oft-repeated mantra: “Dogs need meat to live.” Last year, a survey of 3,673 pet owners from around the world by Canada’s University of Guelph found that over a third of them were interested in switching their animals to a plant-based diet.