When I hear pet I think family member, but I guess it's better than what a lot of people do like abandoning/killing their unwanted pets in inhumane ways.

At the very least, it's not a live feeding. I personally couldn't do that myself, even though it's a natural process and normal enrichment for many animals.

I personally can't criticize too harshly on the zoo though. At the end of the day, zoos aren't generally money makers (to the best of my knowledge) and their animals need to be cared for. If anything, I'm more judgmental of owners who may willingly donate healthy pets (perhaps those with unhealthy or close to death pets are more understandable).

I do wonder if this some kind of publicity stunt. It has to be cheaper and easier just to get cash donations for livestock right? Less costs for euthanasia and you can buy in bulk. I'm sure they wouldn't say no to free food for their animals but it feels like a weird angle to draw attention to the zoo. Maybe some of this nuance is lost in translation between Dutch and English news media.

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