Petition to Require Pet Food Companies to be Held Accountable for Damages
WE, THE UNDERSIGNED:
Request that the U.S. Congress enact legislation to require pet food manufacturers and the companies that market those pet food brands to be held financially liable for any medical costs related to or contributing to the illness and/or death of a pet that can be reasonably attributed to the food consumed by the pet. And that all pet foods include the name of the manufacturer, not just the brand under which it is sold.
This petition is in response to the thousands of pet parents and owners who have suffered under the Menu Foods recall and their slow response that started on March 16th, 2007.
Sign after the jump.
Or read about all the latest news surrounding the recall.
In creating this petition, our motive is three-fold:
- First, we want to ease the pain and suffering of those who have lost their pets due to mistakes and negligence of pet food makers. The loss or illness of a pet can be emotionally devastating. On top of it, the financial burden of uninsured veterinary treatment can be a double-whammy, leading pet parents and their families to significant financial damage — often affecting other family members such as kids and the elderly. This legislation will create a venue for settling these cases fairly and out of court, eliminating the need for a lengthy court case, which companies rely on in order to reduce the likelihood of payout.
- Second, create a financial motive for pet food makers and marketers to set higher standards for pet food. We want to let them know that consumers are interested in higher-grade pet food. And that the longer a company waits in issuing warnings or recalls related to their product, the larger the potential financial damage. This new law would hold the manufacturers (often smaller, less financially sound organizations) and also the larger corporations that market the branded foods — who ultimately control what goes in them.
- Third, a clear public disclosure of who actually makes the food. Since the financial liability falls to the brand as well as the manufacturer, the name of the company that actually produced the food should be obvious to the consumer. How much clearer would this recall have been if the food was labeled “Made by Menu Foods”?
Once the final tally of the pet deaths is complete, the petition will be delivered to the head of the congressional committee that controls FDA funding (Dave Obey, D-WI, chairman of House Appropriations Committee).
IMPORTANT!
For your petition to be valid, we require:
- An accurate email address
- Your First and Last name (In the comment field)
- Your Zip code (In the comment field)
Your email will not appear below and will be kept securely by us. Your email will be used ONLY in the purposes of carrying out the petition. It will not be used for spam, sold or marketed to any other company. We hate spam as much as you do. Only your name, Zip code, and any comment you make will appear.
This petition is sponsored by itchmo.com. Please feel free to start your own email campaign to this page. The short link to use is http://www.itchmo.com/petition
March 21st, 2007 at 5:43 pm
Ben Huh 98004
March 21st, 2007 at 5:55 pm
Natalie Bullion 94574
March 21st, 2007 at 5:55 pm
Vic Aul 94574
March 21st, 2007 at 6:20 pm
Pet food Co, have been getting away w/putting in bad stuff in pet food for years. It’s time that pet food has better rules.
March 21st, 2007 at 6:39 pm
Traci Cleaver 98105
March 21st, 2007 at 6:49 pm
They need to be held responsible. They aren’t reporting all the deaths that are occuring at an alarming rate. some of these deaths date back into November. They knew they had a problem and waited almost a month to recall.
March 21st, 2007 at 6:50 pm
lisa rogers 87507
March 21st, 2007 at 6:54 pm
96161
March 21st, 2007 at 6:57 pm
The horrible little secret has now been exposed — pet owners have been paying the marketing costs of brand-name pet food retailers — all of whom are merely selling the same product. Now that that product is tainted, they are all exposed for the charlatans they are.
Consumers should be protected from such marketing fraud. Our pets are frequently child-surrogates or childrens’ companions. They are certainly family members. Shame on these awful pet companies.
March 21st, 2007 at 7:55 pm
Lacy Parnell 76248
March 21st, 2007 at 8:04 pm
Emily Wu 98004
March 21st, 2007 at 8:14 pm
John Pierce
80220
I am in total agreement with the Petition to Require Pet Food Companies to be Held Accountable for Damages
March 21st, 2007 at 8:23 pm
It is not only unacceptable that these companies knowingly allowed tainted pet food to be sold, and subsequently consumed by our pets, it is criminal. Our pets are our best friends and constant companions; for some they serve as our eyes and ears, for others they are our only source of unconditional love, and for all of us who have pets, they are important members of our families and we need them and love them as such. For all that they give to us, they deserve so much better than to be poisoned by people whose only concern is covering up their negligence and worrying about their bottom line.
In my opinion, those responsible for this heinous act of criminal negligence are the real animals in this scenario, and they must be held accountable.
March 21st, 2007 at 8:55 pm
CHRISTINE O’NEILL
March 21st, 2007 at 8:57 pm
Even worse, some of us are going out of our way to get “healthy” or special food for our companion animals… and some of THESE brands are also ending up in the recall.
This is a huge concern for me, since I am disabled, and my animal is MORE than a companion… she helps me be able to live on my own. She helps me manage. I’d really be lost if she got sick!
March 21st, 2007 at 9:00 pm
sari stiles 53224
March 21st, 2007 at 9:07 pm
It’s a great idea, but it’ll be an uphill battle… just look at how long it took and how many pets lives were lost before the airlines finally decided to start climate controlling their cargo bays and putting in rules for handling of checked animals
March 21st, 2007 at 9:08 pm
DEBRA CHAMBERS
98042
March 21st, 2007 at 9:15 pm
It is sad that we must read your blog to find out the most reliable and detailed information on this tragic situation. We all thank you for that.
We have another solution. After twice returning the recalled food (first Nutro then the Purina), we are now simply making our own soft dog food (which we mix 50 / 50 with hard dog food nuggets that we have purchased for years from Solid Gold) for our two toy poodles out of food that we are also eating ourselves: chicken, rice, carrots, and chicken stock. Our dogs love it!!
If vast numbers of fellow pet owners switched to their own home-made food (at least as a supplement) then it would send a clear message to the pet food industry.
March 21st, 2007 at 9:18 pm
Susan Fechtmann
19970
March 21st, 2007 at 9:43 pm
Carolyn Oehlerts
34677
March 21st, 2007 at 10:03 pm
Fay Yu 11211
March 21st, 2007 at 10:26 pm
77096
Gail Erskine
March 21st, 2007 at 10:28 pm
77096
Gail Erskine
March 21st, 2007 at 10:30 pm
Thank you for your very informative blog and the great work you are doing for us pet owners who want accountability from the people who manufacture and market pet food. It’s about time!
March 21st, 2007 at 10:58 pm
Sandra Palmer 95436
March 21st, 2007 at 11:12 pm
94122-1506
Shari A. Mann
March 21st, 2007 at 11:20 pm
Jeffrey Williams
97056
March 21st, 2007 at 11:57 pm
14432 Sharon DeRuyter
As I sign this, my 5-year-old, previously healthy cat is lying in an animal hospital fighting for his life. He trusted me, and I feel as if I have let him down. They need to find out how this happened and prosecute all those who knew about this prior to the recall. Had the food been pulled from the shelves when it was first known that there may have been a problem, I wouldn’t have purchased the food which sickened my cat.
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:03 am
Kumpi Pet Foods
Evy Serpa
Aurora, CO 8013
Thank you for keeping us up to date and the endless hours you contribute to keeping corporate America accountable. I started my own pet food company nine years ago when my German Shepherd died of cancer when he was only five. There is FAR too much the general public does not know about pet food and your petition is a breath of fresh air.
I will post this on my website and actively support making it as widely known as possible.
Thanks again!!!
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:04 am
Evy Serpa
Kumpi Pet Foods
Aurora, CO 80013
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:11 am
Anne Remington 61107
My 6 month old kitten is at the vet’s right now recovering from a violent illness of a mysterious nature. When I first took her there she was vomiting blood. She’s had every kind of test including barium xrays. Last week she ate some Iam’s tuna flakes with sauce from another batch than the ones which are posted as being tainted. If I find out that it was the food that caused this……….
I’m not in favor of the government regulating our lives but it seems we may need it when there are low standards for certain industries. As the airline industry needs a passenger bill of rights maybe the animals of our country need theirs too. They wouldn’t if people did their jobs as they were supposed to and common sense courtesy was extended. This whole thing is really sickening but maybe it’s what it takes for the industry standards to be raised.
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:17 am
Michelle Price, 43232
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:18 am
40507 Laura Kelly
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:21 am
13033 winnie owens
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:27 am
Catherine Wreford
cwreford@fundedcapital.com
90046
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:30 am
45224
Meshell Simms
Menufoods and all pet food companies involved need to be held accountable!!!!!
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:45 am
30309 Suzanne Struble
March 22nd, 2007 at 12:56 am
emily diaz 60073
i have a dying cat at the vets right now. i have been feeding her the nutro natural choice wet food for about 5 months now. she seems to be progressing but her kidney levels are not changing. my family and i (including our pets) are very saddened by this. i am trying to get a hold of a lawyer to file suit against this horrible company that has known so long about this contaminated food. if they would have let us know sooner we would not be in the position right now. thank goodness for the banfield animal clinic in petsmart said they are not charging for any vet bills to us that we have/are incurring while she is there and still living. we are keeping our fingers crossed that our cat gets better and comes back home alive.
March 22nd, 2007 at 1:17 am
Jim Conforti 84096
March 22nd, 2007 at 1:25 am
loretta jacobs - 94904
March 22nd, 2007 at 2:22 am
97330 Bobbie Schroering My Precious perfect Yorkie 2lbs.10 ozs. died this Sunday. She was my little Angel for 13 years. I adored her. She was so loving and kind. She had severe diahhrea and bloody projectile vomiting. I was feeding my dogs Nutro canned . She recovered after 3 vet visits I.V’s, and lots of 24 hr. love and care. A week later she died. I knew before I even heard of the recall that it was the food. I talked with I clerk at the pet store and told him that I knew it was the food. Today I was sent to this website. I never expected this loose to be so terribly excruciating and painful. I protected and deeply loved this little adorable baby. I held her in my arms as she passed on.I told her how grateful I was to have had her for my Little darling. I thanked her for being such a good little girl. I was devastated,watching her struggle ,she could barely breathe. She was a part of our lives for 13 years, I will miss her so much,I can not express how sad I am. I miss her little pitter patter as she followed me from room to room. I miss her beautiful little face and her kisses.
March 22nd, 2007 at 2:35 am
Kimberly Barnhardt 97266
March 22nd, 2007 at 2:36 am
97330 Bobbie Schroering
March 22nd, 2007 at 4:15 am
22802 greg and shannon payne thank you murder foods (menu foods)
March 22nd, 2007 at 4:49 am
I THINK IT’S UNFORGIVEABLE THAT A COMPANY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS AND STILL CONTINUE TO PUT OUT A DEADLY PRODUCT!! ALSO, I THINK IT GOES BACK MUCH FURTHER THAN 12/2006, AS MY CAT GOT SUDDEN RENAL FAILURE/DIABETIC SXS. LAST JULY, AND SHE’S NEVER BEEN SICK A DAY IN HER 15 YRS. OF LIFE! I FED HER IAMS, AND SOME OTHER “GOOD” CAT FOODS!! FORTUNATELY, SHE SURVIVED, AFTER I SPENT ABOUT $2000. TO SAVE HER, AND WITH A LOT OF LOVE, AND PRAYERS FROM MYSELF AND FRIENDS! HOWEVER, I STILL HAVE TO GIVE HER AZODYL AND EPAKITIN, TO MAKE SURE SHE IS OK! I WANT TO SUE THESE BASTARDS FOR EVERY PENNY THEY MADE ON THE ILLNESS OF OUR BELOVED COMPANION ANIMALS/FRIENDS!!-KDO;
KEVIN D. OGBORN
85207
March 22nd, 2007 at 4:50 am
KEVIN OGBORN
85207
March 22nd, 2007 at 4:51 am
84804
Lyle Dulap
March 22nd, 2007 at 4:51 am
84804
Lyle Dunlap
March 22nd, 2007 at 5:29 am
90278 Cheryl Huddle and Richard Ford
Redondo Beach, CA
My heart breaks for those who have lost their babies as a result of the toxic foods. My 18 year old tabby cat, Scratcher, has been in the hospital since Tuesday with enlarged kidneys. He was fed Authority, Nutro Gourmet Classics and Sophisticat wet food brands. His kidney values seem stable (for his age), so we’re hoping it’s an infection, not renal failure. Our other kitties seem Ok. Unfortunately, I discovered I had fed recalled food (Mixables) to our Dobie, Sadie, since last summer. Although she seems fine, we had her blood tested…still waiting for the results. If anything happens to my “kids”, I’ll feel so guilty. We will actively support and sign the “Accountability Petition”.