While dogs have long been considered meat-eaters, new research and firsthand experiences suggest they may actually thrive on vegan diets.

Would you put your dog on a vegan diet?

Founder and spokesperson for Animals Behind Closed Doors Gerry Boland said he knows “hundreds of vegans”, and not one of them feeds their dogs meat.

“What I would say is the most important thing is the dog’s happiness, not the vegan diet, not the human person, whether they’re happy or not,” he told Lunchtime Live.

“So, I wouldn’t like to see a situation where a vegan is forcing a diet on a dog that is making the dog unhealthy, unhappy.

“But, in my long experience, dogs, generally speaking, are not either unhealthy or unhappy on a vegan diet.

“They’re omnivores, they’re not carnivores.”

Mr Boland said that while humans can decide their own diet for themselves, pet owners should remember that they are responsible for ensuring their dog’s diet keeps them healthy and happy.

Collie sheep dog Rock Westmorland Cumbria Nigel Cattlin / Alamy

Kildare dairy farmer Brian said he couldn’t see a vegan diet being nutritionally dense enough to sustain his working dogs.

“Listen, I’m not a nutritionist, I’m all for free choice,” he said.

“If your dog wants free choice, I would suggest put a piece of meat down in front of it and a head of broccoli and see which one the dog prefers.

“Because I’ll bet my house on it, it picks the meat.

“So, I think if the dog had a choice in the matter, the dog would choose meat every time.”

'Everything in moderation'

According to Brian, the nutritional needs of the individual animal should be assessed when it comes to deciding whether or not an animal can go vegan.

“My cows take everything in moderation; they’re herbivores,” he said.

“I wouldn't dream of giving them meat because they’re not evolved to eat meat.”

Main image: Dog eating food from its bowl indoors. Image: Oleksiy Boyko. 13 August 2018