The number one mistake is giving pets table scraps. I made the mistake thinking I was showing my dog love by giving her food and treats. You see a tiny 4 oz. piece of cheese, but for a Boston Terrier like mine, that’s like one and a half hamburgers. That’s unhealthy.

Sweeney frames a common pet-owner impulse—sharing “people food” as a sign of affection—as a misunderstanding of what animals actually need. By translating a small human portion (a few ounces of cheese) into an equivalent “hamburger” scale for a small dog, she highlights how size and metabolism change the health impact of treats. The quote’s practical point is about nutrition and obesity prevention, but its deeper emphasis is ethical: love is expressed through responsible care, not indulgence. It also critiques the way owners normalize overfeeding by focusing on the treat’s absolute size rather than its relative caloric load for the animal.