I'm as devoted to my mutt [0] as the next dog owner, but the thought of cooking for him seemed, well, outrageous.

After all, it's fair to say that my pup is pretty spoiled. He gets a daily walk (well, almost daily), tons of chew toys and rawhide treats, and loads of affection.

Then, a couple weeks ago, I woke up to the news that affected millions of pets -- and their owners -- everywhere: A major pet food recall [1] was underway. Dogs had died, cats were sick, and vets predicted that the number of sick animals would continue to rise.

My pup's brand of dog food was one of the dozens that were on the recall list. Further investigation revealed that his food came from a Kansas factory that was responsible for the tainted batches. And the numbers on the pouches fell just outside those that were being recalled. This meant that his food was safe. Technically.

That morning, my dog got a scrambled egg and toast for breakfast. He was thrilled. As it turned out, I was thrilled too. The egg was past its prime and I managed to use up some stale, leftover bread heels that I would have otherwise tossed out.

Since I often throw out leftovers and ingredients that are just slightly past their prime, I realized that I could easily recycle my extras -- eggs, yogurt, rice, cheese, soy crumbles, carrots -- into dog food.

It's pretty easy to feed him a healthy, balanced diet because there are several websites, such as PetDiets.com [2] and Dogiebag.com [3] that offer advice, tips, and nutritional information dedicated to how to feed pets responsibly. The possibly contaminated dog food landed in the trash, and for the past few weeks, my dog -- who weighs less than 12 pounds and has a small appetite -- has dined on leftovers. It turns out that it's cheaper and less wasteful.

Apparently, I'm not the only one who's suddenly opted to give human food to their pets. The New York Times reports [4] that pet cookbook sales have spiked. The recall and news of dangerous treats [4] are obviously behind the trend.

I plan to keep feeding my pooch healthy leftovers, in accordance with the nutritional guides. Next month, when I take him to the vet, I'll ask for her approval. If I get a green light, he'll keep eating people food.

But I draw the line at cooking "Canine Casserole" or "Marvelous Mutt Meatballs."

Photo credit: New York Times [5].