The carcasses of slaughtered cows, pigs, chickens and restaurant scraps become "dry rendered tankage" or crude protein which is then used in everything from lipsticks and waxes to soap, drugs, and animal food.

Now we find out that the bodies of dead cats, dogs and rabbits are also added into this toxic mix.

Why is this supposed to make us MORE upset? Why would this make one more likely to become a vegetarian, or make a vegetarian feel that they are eating animal by-products unknowingly?

All vegetarians, myself included, eat animal products, quite knowingly. Only the most committed vegans do not consume animal products on almost a daily basis.

The issue here seems to me to be at least two-fold. One is that we must stop consuming the pigs, chickens, and cows that go into this toxic rendering mix - be that in eating the meat directly, or indirectly in the form of eggs, dairy, and so on.

Secondly, we must stop the breeding, and the dumping of the cats, dogs, and rabbits, that also go into this mixture.

What disgusts me is that there are so many murdered animals available for "render". The particular mix of animals that are rendered is not my main concern.