Martha Stewart’s homemade dog food sparks internet debate

Martha Stewart is at the heart of yet another Instagram controversy.

The 82-year-old cooking connoisseur’s respect for animals was put into question when she shared her homemade recipe for dog food on Instagram. Stewart, known for her expertise in the kitchen, took to social media on 10 December to give her followers a taste of the meaty grub she cooks up for her two French bulldogs and two Chow Chows, Crème Brulee, Bete Noire, Emperor Han and Empress Qin.

“Today was dog food day!! Although it takes a lot longer than a day to make our type of healthy farm to bowl food that my lovely dogs have gotten used to,” the businesswoman began. “Start with the buck deer that’s been living here since he found his way in a year ago, (slowly cook the cubed meat until tender) then harvest the old roosters who have been such good friends and make such tasty poached chicken.”

Stewart continued on, detailing the prepping process. “l then visit @mtkiscoseafood for fresh salmon carcasses which are also poached and picked,” she noted. “Cut up the last big orange poitiron pumpkin. Steam until soft. We ate a big bowl of that ourselves. Roast nine large sweet potatoes. Cut up a big bowl of garden carrots and boil in salmon broth along with broccoli, frozen peas, quinoa (five pounds).”

And the process doesn’t end there. In a large stainless steel mixing bowl, she combines the ingredients before putting them through a Cuisinart processor. “I did a mental calculation and determined that we would fill 44 quarts I was off by only 1/2 qt,” Stewart specified.

The final step included separating the mixture out into containers, placing the prepped food in the freezer, and cleaning up. Before finishing her online note, she added: “Dogs are very very happy, we are very tired !! Worth it!!” A carousel of photos carefully captured the step-by-step process, providing clear imagery for her audience of two million.

While this isn’t the first time Stewart’s opened up about her homemade dog food, posting insight to her Instagram page and website in 2022, this specific post attracted a myriad of commenters frustrated by the origin of her ingredients.

One reader wrote: “You killed the deer that found its way to your home? And your ‘friends’ the chickens??? Sounds like a real fairytale over there.”

“Am I reading this correctly? You killed the buck deer that has been calling your place home for the last year and put him in the dog food?” a perplexed viewer added.

“Wait-a-minute! The buck deer, he’s not in the dog food, is he?!?! I understand the chicken/roosters, but not the deer…beef, yes…deer, no,” another person exclaimed.

Amid the disapproval and disappointment, supporters of Stewart’s recipe spoke out. “It’s called farm to table, not everyone survives on vegetables. It’s called farming. We have a lot bigger problems going on this world than people farming and raising their own livestock for food and living sustainably. Secondly, dogs need meat and this is absolutely perfect for them,” one advocate remarked.

“I love this. Helping wildlife conservation by hunting and respect and kindness for farm animals until they’re utilised for a practical purpose. Healthy dogs in return,” another pointed out. “I’m shocked and appalled by how disconnected and naive so many people are on here about meat. Actually look at factory farming for a minute. Martha’s version is humane and treating animals with dignity.”

One woman remarked: “The irony that people don’t understand this is true sustainability. Go Martha!”

The Independent has contacted Stewart’s representative for a comment.