Researchers at the University of Sydney in Australia claim that those 163 million pets have a detrimental impact on the environment, from the food they consume to the waste they produce.
"In the US, there are more than 163 million dogs and cats that consume, as a significant portion of their diet, animal products and therefore potentially constitute a considerable dietary footprint," the study's abstract proclaims. "Here, the energy and animal-derived product consumption of these pets in the US is evaluated for the first time, as are the environmental impacts from the animal products fed to them, including feces production."
https://www.dailywire.com/news/37735/environmentalists-save-world-dump-your-pets-emily-zanotti
"In the US, there are more than 163 million dogs and cats that consume, as a significant portion of their diet, animal products and therefore potentially constitute a considerable dietary footprint," the study's abstract proclaims. "Here, the energy and animal-derived product consumption of these pets in the US is evaluated for the first time, as are the environmental impacts from the animal products fed to them, including feces production."
https://www.dailywire.com/news/37735/environmentalists-save-world-dump-your-pets-emily-zanotti