The Calgary Humane Society says it has launched an investigation into a local dog adoption agency. CB Rescue Foundation is being criticized for its strict dieting protocol being pushed on its prospective adopters, which includes allegedly dangerous fruits and full days of fasting. “Anyone feeding their dog this diet or counselling their foster homes to feed this diet would be committing an Animal Protection Act offence, and could find themselves in some legal trouble,” the society’s Director of Enforcement, Brad Nichols, told CTV News. “These animals (on CB Rescue’s required diet) are going to be malnourished. They may suffer disease as a result. They may suffer reduced immunity. And at its worst, malnutrition can lead to death.” ‘Natural feeding protocol’ On the CB Rescue’s website, its natural feeding protocol is described “as a condition of adoption.” “Applicants unwilling to follow this feeding protocol will not be approved,” the agency’s page reads. In an applicant mail-out reviewed by CTV News, founder Belinda Morrison goes into more detail about that diet. It prominently features full days of exclusively fruit, including bananas, pineapples, oranges and honeydew melon. Veterinarians say those fruits are fine in moderation — though they take exception to the amounts Morrison recommends. Also on the list: grapes — a known toxin for dogs. Even a small amount can cause kidney injury or total failure, veterinarians say. Further, the mail-out suggests full days of fasting, which it calls “an important part of a natural eating cycle.” Four of the five diet plans recommended by CB Rescue include fasting; three say it should be done twice a week. In a 2022 YouTube video, Morrison claims the feeding strategy has healing powers. “I have a dog that had cancer and then we cured him of cancer because of this diet,” she said. “(And) my (dog) Lucky, I put them on watermelon for two weeks straight — watermelon, nothing else — and then I progressed them into the diet.” “(Susie the dog) fasted for 10 days,” video co-host Lauren Whiteman added. “Not only did they not die, they healed from cancer and stomatitis.” CB Rescue’s application process includes a link to the video. “After you’ve reviewed everything,” the website reads, “please call Belinda to book your one-on-one nutrition counseling session.” Calgarian criticism One Calgarian in the market for a new dog calls CB Rescue’s practices “unethical.” Ciara Prithipaul recently put in an application to adopt from the agency. They say some red flags were raised once they received all of the fostering material. “This is all kind of being presented as what wolves do in the wild, and (that) wolves are dogs and dogs are wolves, and there’s no difference,” they told CTV News. “They have completely different metabolic needs.” Prithipaul says alarm bells were especially ringing when they came across a Facebook group titled “CB Natural Dog Diet.” The group’s administrator is listed as Belinda Morrison. “The more I was researching, the more I was putting together, the more I was digging through the Facebook group, the more information I was coming across … the more scary it was starting to get.” CTV News reviewed screenshots Prithipaul claims are from the private group. In them, Morrison downplays the toxicity and danger of grapes as a “myth,” saying they are “a favourite of dogs and lead to better health.” One captured post says she has healed dogs with seizures and heart murmurs by “including large meals of grapes regularly.” That’s something vets warn could be fatal. Prithipaul’s application was ultimately denied — something they claim is due to asking too many questions about the adoption process. That’s a fact Morrison disputes. Prithipaul says they just want to make sure the animals under CB Rescue’s care are ultimately kept safe. “Dogs don’t subscribe to political parties or Facebook groups, they don’t have ideology, right? All they believe in is us. We owe them so much more than this.” Experts weigh in Dr. Caitlin Grant teaches nutrition out of the University of Calgary’s Faculty of Veterinarian Medicine. She’s board-certified in veterinarian nutrition through the European College of Veterinary Comparative Nutrition and has a Doctor of Veterinary Science. She calls CB Rescue’s recommended diet “risky and nutritionally inappropriate.” “We don’t have any scientific evidence to support this method of feeding,” she told CTV News Wednesday. “For most of us that are feeding our pets, we’re giving them something that’s complete and balanced every day. (With this diet), we’re not actually providing the same nutrition each day. So that’s one of the limitations.” “And if they are not meeting their calorie requirement, that’s when we can start to see things like malnutrition and weight loss.” Grant specifically warns against feeding dogs grapes. Her research — and studies done by her peers — has shown the fruit is dangerous for a canine. “There’s a specific compound in the grapes that is toxic to dogs, and the problem is that not each grape has the same amount in it,” she said. “For some dogs, ingesting one or two grapes could be potentially very problematic, whereas other dogs may have accidentally eaten a couple of grapes and been totally fine.” “The recommendation from a veterinary standpoint is that if your dog has ingested any grapes, to seek veterinary guidance. It could be potentially fatal.” She recommends current or future dog owners consult with the Canadian Academy of Veterinary Nutrition if they have any specific questions. And as for the claims that Morrison’s dog diet can cure cancer? “We don’t have any research to support that at this time,” Grant said. “If we did, I feel like cancer would be gone, and that would be lovely.” ‘Never hidden’ philosophy: Morrison Despite multiple requests, Morrison would not agree to be interviewed by CTV News. CB Rescue’s founder claims the entire story is being pushed along by a resentful Prithipaul. In an email, Morrison called it “a personal effort to damage both my reputation and the reputation of CB Rescue.” But she refused to answer certain questions — many pertaining to fasting, grapes and prior claims that over-vaccinating is linked to cancer. She also wouldn’t say if the dogs she is adopting out have any vaccinations. “For CB Rescue’s nutrition philosophy, I have never hidden it,” she wrote. “I do not feed a conventional kibble-based diet. I have advocated a natural, minimally processed approach to feeding dogs for approximately 10 years, and I stand behind that philosophy.” “My own approach has been informed by the work and public discussions of prominent people in the dog and pet-nutrition world…including some of the top dog trainers in the world.” She also wrote that her dieting plans are oftentimes more expensive than traditional dog food — something that shows her intention. “I am not going to apologize for investing thousands of dollars into feeding rescue dogs what I believe is high-quality food,” Morrison wrote. “I am proud that CB Rescue makes that investment in its animals.” On Tuesday, she said she was not currently aware of the Calgary Humane Society’s investigation.
