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 25th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
31522
David Boothman
March 25th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
S.Y. DOVE 92780
My heart is literally aching for all the pet souls lost, and their caregivers’ anguish!
Such senseless loss — all for the sake of manufacturers, and specific companies, higher ‘bottom line - $$’.
I hope everyone follows thru signing this petition, and any other legal action necessary.
THANK YOU, ITCHMO, for providing this information site!
March 25th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
98682
Lori McKinley
March 25th, 2007 at 5:31 pm
34607 Tricia Schlosser
This has opened my eyes to the fallacy of “high quality” pet food. Never mind that the product I feed my beloved pets isn’t on the recall list (Nutro Ultra dry dog food), it might well be in the future. This is total deceit.
I’ll never assume that I’m buying the best for my pets simply because of name reputation again. Your name means nothing if YOU don’t make the product.
March 25th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
if you want feed your cats the best food in the world, check out www.felinespride.com
FP cured my cat’s insulin-dependent diabetes in 2 weeks!
diabetes that was caused by veterinarian prescribed Hill’s Prescription Diet!!!
do your kitties a favor & give them food for health & longevity.
March 25th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
These beloved pets dying is an abomination!! Why aren’t these companys required to have better quality control than this?And if they don’t,…… how many other companys could serve food tainted for human consumption?
As far as I’m concerned this is just a test to see how far terrorists can go in our country, think about that when pass laws concerning our pets. If someone can do this to animals, then they can do it to humans too. Both are abominations, and everyone know that congress is bought by large corporations and they will sideskirt the laws of quality control for profit, because the corporations have no morals except the ones concerning enough profit in their pockets! And yes, I do beleive that it is this Bad!!! Get with it Law makers, you work for us!!!
Loretta Anderson 95949
March 25th, 2007 at 5:39 pm
27406
Fred R. Stickel
March 25th, 2007 at 5:43 pm
55414
Leila Denecke
March 25th, 2007 at 5:46 pm
These companies ARE absolutely responsible. If this happened in a
hospital to baby food we all know how many law suits there would be.
Well this is no different as our pets are a member of our family and
deserve the best care. Part of best care is giving the quality food.
I’m lucky that I feed my animals dry food only. I can’t imagine going
thru what others are going thru.
March 25th, 2007 at 5:49 pm
15680 Donna Gros
March 25th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
60586
Tracy Blecha
Ingredients like wheat, corn, soy, etc., should not be in food for dogs and cats to begin with. We need better quality control in plants where pet food is made. The number of pet food recalls recently is getting out of hand.
March 25th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
60410 Diane Priesmeyer, My heart and prayers go out to all of those who are treating their sick animals and all of you who have lost your pets. My two cats are my lifeline! I am MORE than OUTRAGED at the whole mess! It is just INCONCEIVABLE that ANY of this could EVER happen! WE all need to keep grouping together to make sure that change happens! EVeryone can also go to the pet connection at www.petconnection.com for more information and to also report their losses and illnesses. We also need to report directly to the companies that produce the food and the FDA. I have heard that a company out of colorado called Kumpi Pet Foods is supposed to be a good alternative choice, a small business with pet nutrition as it’s top priority. Hopefully some home made food recipes will follow.
March 25th, 2007 at 6:00 pm
Teresa Skaggs
46106
March 25th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
Debra Wasielewski, 60462
http://rainbowsbridge.com/resi.....sident.htm
March 25th, 2007 at 6:10 pm
07480
Diane Polito
March 25th, 2007 at 6:16 pm
75252, Lisa Jarvis
I have switched brands of food that is not manufactured by Menu Foods. Not because of the recall, but because of the testing they did on shelter animals before the recall. I can not in good conscience support any company that does testing on defenseless animals.
March 25th, 2007 at 6:28 pm
37950
Lora Fretwell
March 25th, 2007 at 6:29 pm
37950
Terry Fretwell
March 25th, 2007 at 6:31 pm
Lynn Misenheimer
Faith, NC 28041
March 25th, 2007 at 6:37 pm
My cat, Whiskers, died March 9th, 2007 after eating Special Kitty pouch cat food. If they had only gotten the word out Feb. 20th when they first realized their was a problem he would still be alive.
March 25th, 2007 at 6:38 pm
Sorry I forgot my zip it is 39565
March 25th, 2007 at 6:41 pm
I am sorry that I did not follow instructions earlier as I voted to save our pets, our family. Now I speak. To say that our pets are “property” not family tells us all that those who are in this “pet” business to “feed” “our pets” do not understand or deserve our business. These pets are a part of our family. They love us no matter what our flaws are. They assume, innocently as we do, that we will take care of them. Those of us who do take care of our family absolutely will not rest until we change the laws that affect our family, which also includes our pets as defined family members. How dare someone tell you and me that our pets are “just” property? Why then do our hearts ache with our loss of our pet, just as strongly as when we lose blood family members? Our family is not only our loved ones, but also our beloved pets. If there is anything, we should have learned is what we learn and observe from the aged in this country. Their pet stayed by their side when no one cared or was too busy to visit. Their dog or cat or whatever “pet” continued to make them get up in the morning and live and find purpose! If this is not so, then why do so many brillant individuals name their “pets” in their will? This loss felt by so many, should scream throughout this country and make change. We will hold you responsible for our loss until you understand; you will be told our stories repeatedly; you will accept responsibility, and you WILL say you are sorry and you will not make the same mistake ever again.
March 25th, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Laura Martinez 91405
March 25th, 2007 at 6:48 pm
[…] Just a couple updates on menu Foods recall, for whatever interest there might be. Itchmo has a petition and a fact sheet / time line. A lot of the events in the time line refer back to […]
March 25th, 2007 at 6:49 pm
Linda McKenna 44054
March 25th, 2007 at 6:51 pm
Dogs are part of the family.
March 25th, 2007 at 6:56 pm
28269
Gina Gregoire
March 25th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
JP Powell
97527
We have a deceased kitty, MOMO, and has a seriously ill Lab. Angel our Lab has survived. Our 3 elderly remaining kitty’s also ate Iams but so far they seem ok but we have no way of knowing.
We are still in possession of MOMO as we buried him on our property. Menufoods didn’t like hearing that our Vet was not allowed to destroy him. He died in my wife’s arms before we could get him back to the Vet to Euthanize him.
We do not know what will happen to Angel our Lab as she was so ill but only through luck she is still with us.
We have not been contacted back by MenuFoods.
JP Powell
boomerkid16@hotmail.com
March 25th, 2007 at 6:58 pm
30324
Beth Abrams
March 25th, 2007 at 7:03 pm
Diane Cochrane
86301
Got distracted there for a minute and fogot if I hit the Submit button :) OOPS~just wanted to be sure to get on the petition list!
March 25th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
Warren Cochrane
86301
Things have GOT to change!
March 25th, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Jerome Banasik, Jr. 77035
Ramon Olachia, Jr. 77035
March 25th, 2007 at 7:13 pm
78411
I would like to see a provision for national and local news affiliates to be required by law to at least provide links, numbers and or the information that what is being said officially, in this instance 16 deaths, may be inaccurate. Or that every “Humane Society” or County Health Agent be required, by law, to make a public statement to the same affect in the instance of any health crisis. We are in the information age and are incredibly deprived of information. I understand the responsible party choosing not to expose the true gravity of the situation for financial and liability reasons but I cannot understand our government continually allowing the public it serves to be duped.
March 25th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
Kathy Singleton 44044 My Boston Terrier was sick, drinking large amounts of water & wanting to go outside about every half hour, this happened abot three weeks before the recall. Strange behavior for a dog that doesn’t like the outside. I just had him tested & he is fine, thank god. I do however have a big vet bill.
March 25th, 2007 at 7:24 pm
Janice Davies 01002
March 25th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
This is not just dog food. Why do we import food stuffs from countries with lower (or no) quality/safety standards than we have… while exporting our own higher quality home grown products elsewhere? There is a bigger picture here.
March 25th, 2007 at 7:34 pm
31079 Debbie GIbbs
March 25th, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Donna Olsen 53225
It was just a matter of time before something like this happened. We start importing food components from countries that don’t regulate anything and eventually people will be the ones dying. Maybe then we’ll stop importing from unregulated countries.
March 25th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
31079 Holly Cross
March 25th, 2007 at 7:39 pm
I think this is important to each and everyone of us. I also have a pet poodle and it is uncalled for for something like this to happen.
31079 Holly Cross
March 25th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
30096
March 25th, 2007 at 7:40 pm
92688 Terri Ludtke
March 25th, 2007 at 7:41 pm
30096
Ellen & Steve Sweeney
March 25th, 2007 at 7:43 pm
98030 Shawna Acheson I first hospitalized my dog january 8th after eating priority dog food, he had a complete blood tranfusion , IV fluids the works, twice! I was lucky enough to nurse him back and he is still not fully well. Over 3 thousand dollars later and an emotional breakdown these people need to be held accountable for monetary and emotional damages. Some of these pets will need ongoing treatment and medications for who knows how long. My heart goes out to the pets and pet parents who are going through this nightmare. shawna acheson
March 25th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Our pets are family members! Menu Foods MUST be held accountable for all the pet deaths and illness that they are responsible for.
They must also STOP live animal testing! CRUEL!
March 25th, 2007 at 7:45 pm
Tammy Jordan 79109
March 25th, 2007 at 7:48 pm
Darla Miller
area code 304
March 25th, 2007 at 7:49 pm
05403
Julia Behrens
March 25th, 2007 at 7:53 pm
60124 Cindy Tableriou
March 25th, 2007 at 7:59 pm
74001 Aive Lauriste