We love our dogs. We throw birthday parties for them, we let them on the furniture, heck, I’d let them borrow the car if they asked. It was a no-brainer when it came time to include them in Passover.
Interestingly enough, the Torah commands every person to make sure their animals are fed with specific notes of when to feed them as well. Did you know we’re actually commanded to feed our animals before we even feed ourselves? Some consider it a Torah obligation, some consider it a mitzvah, some of us have just gone to the dogs and there’s no turning back.
Umm… is it just me or did dogs have a paw in writing the Torah??
SO!! How do you make a Seder plate for your dog??
The cool thing about Passover (and Judaism in general) is you can make it uniquely yours. Here’s how I made pet-friendly substitutes when creating my pup’s seder plate:
Shank Bone – Cooked bones are a big no-no for dogs. I went to the pet store and bought my dogs their favorite no-hide bones. These were obviously the first things they went after on their seder plate!
Hard-Boiled Egg– The first time I ever made hard-boiled eggs was for my dogs a few years ago on our inaugural Pup Passover. They loved them. They can have mine every year.
Horseradish– Real horseradish can upset your pup’s belly, but a white carrot looks just like it! Grab a bunch of rainbow carrots and simply pick out the white one.
Lettuce– Will the dogs eat it? No. Will I still do it for aesthetic? Of course.
Apples and Spices– Another one your dog will simply love! Be sure to omit the wine and nuts.
Parsley– Your pup can have curly parsley only. Flat-leaf parsley is toxic to dogs! They probably won’t eat it anyway (see abandoned parsley on my carpet below) but it’s not worth taking the chance!
And there ya have it! If your pups are participating in Passover this year, make sure to give us a shout to show us their plate using the tag #puppassover. Happy Pesach to you and yours.
-Shelby, Dinky, and Dandy