Despite the many varieties of dog and cat foods on supermarket shelves, five conglomerates dominate the US pet food industry. Food contamination can quickly wreak havoc across a large area. Harrington examines industry scandals, such as when more than 5,000 product lines were recalled across North America, Europe and South Africa due to wheat gluten that was contaminated with melamine, an industrial chemical, in 2007. In the US alone, almost 500 cats and dogs suffered kidney failure; the recorded death toll exceeded 100, with possibly thousands more undocumented fatalities.

The energy-intensive meat industry’s environmental impact is a convincing reason for many people to go vegetarian. This year, University of California at Los Angeles geography professor Gregory Okin calculated that meat-eating dogs and cats in the United States are the cause of the release of 64 million tonnes of CO²-equivalent methane and nitrous oxide per year – equivalent to emissions from driving 13.6 million family-sized cars over a year.

Puppy love unleashed: a boom in dog ownership in Hong Kong poses challenges for lawmakers and urban planners

Time to Eat the Dog?: The Real Guide to Sustainable Living by New Zealand researchers Robert and Brenda Vale presents another perspective. They say that each medium-sized dog eats about 164kg of meat a year – representing an eco-footprint of 0.84 hectares. The Vales measure a cat’s eco-footprint is 0.15 hectares. That footprint represents the amount of productive land and water area used to produce the meat the animal eats and to absorb the waste it generates.

“Those of us in favour of eating or serving meat need to be able to have an informed conversation about our choices, and that includes the choices we make for our pets,” Okin writes.

Whether for environmental, ethical or health reasons, a growing number of pet owners now opt for raw, unprocessed meat or home-cooked recipes, while others would rather eschew meat altogether. Meat-free pet food isn’t readily available in most Hong Kong supermarkets, but can be sourced from smaller retailers throughout the city.

Wilson Wong’s One Vegan shop, which opened in 2015, stocks pet food from Benevo alongside Italian brand Amì. The 48-year-old shares his home with his dog V-Jai, adopted from a shelter as a puppy, and his cat, Fook Fook (“Double Lucky”), whom he took in after he found it injured by the roadside.

Switching his pets to a vegan diet felt like a natural step for Wong around five years ago, several years prior to his own transition from a vegetarian to a vegan. For V-Jai, an animated furball even at 11 years of age, the sound of the vegan treat bag crackling is enough to make him stop playing with his ball and rush over.

Why there is a rift between Hong Kong vets and pet owners

Wong safeguards his animals’ health by reading up on animal nutrition and taking them for regular check-ups. After the pair stopped eating meat, Wong claims they became visibly healthier and more energetic. Not everyone agrees with his practice, though. For Wong and Turner, being armed with scientific evidence is the best way to combat challenges from fellow animal lovers.

“People say dogs and cats can’t be vegan,” Wong says. “So I read lots of articles and research to ensure I understand the nutrition, so that I can convince them and show them why I’m choosing vegan diets instead of following others.”

Turner adds: “If this diet isn’t natural, then the food most owners give their pets isn’t natural. The farming conditions of the animals used to make that food isn’t natural. The arguments against [vegan pets] are all nonsense.”

International vegan restaurant chain Loving Hut, which has three branches across Hong Kong, began selling vegan pet food eight years ago. Christine Kwok, manager of the Wan Chai and Kitec branches, has been vegan for eight years, and meat-free for more than 20 years. The 55-year-old is a firm believer in the benefits of an animal-free diet for all creatures.

Paws for thought: Taking pets to work can relieve stress in frenetic Hong Kong

Her four dogs and a cat all eat the Benevo products. “They smell better and their immune system is better. They’re in really good health: shiny fur, healthy skin, they [almost] never need to go to the vet,” she says.

Kwok orders two 800kg pallets of vegan pet food through Loving Hut every two months, selling the dry and canned food at the restaurants and offering it to local animal charities at close to cost price. She has seen plenty of curious pet owners leave the restaurant with a sample pack, only to return a few days later for a full-size bag.

“The World Health Organisation has said processed meat could cause cancer, and that’s just food for humans – what about dog food?” says Kwok. “You might be able to buy a big bag of dog food from the supermarket for 10 dollars, but what’s really in it? You end up spending more money at the vet. We love our dogs: if their diet is good, it shows.”

Their animal companions’ health is paramount for all three owners, whose approach does not come at a cost to other living creatures or the planet. Turner, Wong and Kwok are all optimistic that the trend towards embracing the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle will snowball.

“We’ll keep on educating people,” says a hopeful Wong. They just ask detractors to listen.

“Don’t worry about the nutritional issues: the food sold now is nutritionally balanced and dogs are quite happy to eat it. At least give it a try,” Turner says. He adds with a chuckle: “People think veganism is a huge step, a huge issue, but if I can do it, anyone can.”