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 11:57 pm
24201 David Gressner
My cat has been suffering from a skin condion since Aug of last year. 500.00 in vet bills had my vet baffled. I was feeding him special kitty. His sugar in his kidneys was elevated back in Ang. 2006. I thought i was upgrading by switching him to nutro. I know by the grace of God that it’s the only reason he’s alive today. The cuts and gravy are his favorite and i know i have fed him the poisoned canned foods in the past. I have shortened his life and put him and my other cats at risk by feeding them this so called top quality product. I will never buy ANYTHING EVER from menu foods again. I feel betrayed and guilty for putting my cats at risk as everyone eles has. Cough up some of that money ive been giving you losers to compensate for the deaths of these pets and their pain and suffering. Who knows when this actually happened since my cat had symptoms back in aug of 2006. What a bunch of ASSHOLES.
March 26th, 2007 at 12:13 am
95037 Jill Moyer
March 26th, 2007 at 12:14 am
Patricia M. Hill
95648
March 26th, 2007 at 12:20 am
97347
Linda Rhode
March 26th, 2007 at 12:24 am
Gary Kaminski, 15018
March 26th, 2007 at 12:38 am
I feed my dogs Kumpi. They are safe - I can NOT tell you the comfort I have in knowing this.
My heart goes out to those who have lost their beloved pets to this irresponsible disaster. Manufactuers need to be held reliable for the suffering of these pets and their humans. We are fed MILLIONS of dollars of advertising to ASSURE us that our dogs are SAFE and HEALTHY on their foods - now look. Menu Foods will compensate for the loss of your pet - but you have to send them your dead pet and the food… what are those who lost their pets early on to do? Dig up Fido? What about those who were cremated? What an easy out they gave themselves. Isn’t the vet’s records enough! These were HEALTHY pets - now they are dead.
In December, AS A TREAT, I had fed my year old Yorkie just TWO pouches of Nutro - a brand I had fed fosters before Kumpi. He suffered seizures. My vet asked if I had poisons around the home - we looked at EVERYTHING - however, I had fed Nutro before. I had thought it was the chicken jerky I had purchased - they were made in China. I didn’t think anything about the Nutro. Now I think about it all the time… now I think about how he has not had another seizure since those two pouches. My dogs eat Kumpi and ONLY Kump. THANK YOU Evy for letting me sleep at night - with my healthy dogs around me. FEED KUMPI: www.kumpi.com
March 26th, 2007 at 12:38 am
The standards for safe and healthy food that millions of people feed their beloved pets must be raised to the highest standards. A blind person who looses his or her seeing eye dog; a child who looses his or her beloved animal; and any other human who benefits from the companionship of his or her animal deserves such standards, as does the animals so many humans depend upon for companionship, assistance, and human growth as spiritual beings.
Sincerely,
Charles Regal, M.Div, MSW
March 26th, 2007 at 12:39 am
94122
March 26th, 2007 at 12:41 am
Regardless of human or animal, a tragedy has occurred and the responsible party should be held accountable. In this case, Menu Foods has distributed foods that have cause illness and death. But not only Menu Foods, the companies that use them should be held accountable to ensure Menu Foods is producing safe food that is not only safe for animals to eat but safe enough for a human. I would assume this would mean a major shift in the pet food industry with no more dead, diseased and dying animals put in pet food. I mean, how safe can that be? And better testing on the ingredients to ensure it is human grade. That is why I have moved away from traditional pet foods and feed my pets Kumpi Food and Dick Van Patten’s Wet Food called Natural Balance. Thank God I switched from Nutro last October. Because the cans listed on the recall were ones that I used to feed my companion animals. My heart goes out to those who have lost or may lose a loved one.
March 26th, 2007 at 12:42 am
Robert Davis, 55428 (forgot to add this in my prior comments)
March 26th, 2007 at 12:42 am
Zip Code - 30135
Edward & Phyllis Grennan
Turbo was a perfect little 4 pound, 4 1/2 month old Maltese puppy. He was loved as our child. He died at the Vets office as they tried to treat him for this poisoning. His blood work was off quite a lot the first day when I first heard about the recall. By the next day his CBC blood work was off the charts and he ceisured and died a horrible death.
If Menu foods had released the information when they first knew about it as they should have Turbo would be alive now. By stalling for several days or weeks, they killed by little boy.
I am outraged at how the FDA and most of the media are handling this news and how they are grossly skewing the death toll and number of sick pets.
We have reported to the FDA, Nutro Pet Food Co., and Menu Foods Co. The people we have talked to at the FDA have given us no direction for what they are doing for this tragety nor have they givin us any type of case number or reference to our complaits.
Please help to get somthing done to prevent this again,
Edward Grennan
March 26th, 2007 at 1:18 am
95608
Shirley Kaiser
March 26th, 2007 at 1:25 am
Mr. Kiril Kundurazieff
ZIP CODE = 92706
———–
Symbolically Co-signed by NIKITA, The Bouncer of Sneakeasy’s Joint
http://www.sneakeasysjoint.com.....index.html
JOINT STATEMENT:
My 9 yr. old Feline Companion, Nikita, and I wish to express our solidarity with our fellows in the Cat, and Canine Communities, in this terrible time of crisis.
We agree wholeheartedly that the marketers, and manufacturers, of the food, and treats, that people purchase, for the nourishment of their Animal Companions, need to be held accountable for what goes into their product, and for it being safe for consumption before it reaches the shelves of Retailers.
We also want to encourage all Human Companions to do all they can to inform themselves about care, and feeding issues related to their particular Animal.
March 26th, 2007 at 1:42 am
Maureen Noble
34759
March 26th, 2007 at 1:57 am
84405 Steven Harris
UPDATE:
These numbers need to be added to the recall list:
Special Kitty Pouch 068113174242
Special Kitty Pouch 068113174245
Special Kitty (3oz can) 068113157544
Special Kitty (3oz can) 068113159035
Special Kitty (3oz can) 068113124712
Special Kitty (3oz can) 068113198352
Special Kitty (3oz can) 007874273292
Special Kitty (3oz can) 007874273293
Questionable:
Special Kitty (can) Chicken Liver 007800012140
Special Kitty DRY (any flavor)
Fact: These numbers are NOT on the recall list and should be! It was proven, a cat in Ogden ate ONLY these foods with these UPC codes and is now gravely ill. The food was bought at Wal Mart in Riverdale, UT, on 2/16/07.
March 26th, 2007 at 2:05 am
CINDY BARNES
77009
March 26th, 2007 at 2:40 am
Isabel DeBerry
94561
March 26th, 2007 at 2:49 am
Darren and Isabel DeBerry
94561
March 26th, 2007 at 2:53 am
Leslie A. Canales 10453
My dog, Furby, was being fed Mighty Dog pouched food for a few months now. I’ve just recently heard about the recall and was shocked. Needless to say, despite the fact that the numbers on the packages we have don’t indicate it is among the poisoned food and he shows no symptoms, I will no longer be feeding my pet this product. From now on I’ll be making Furby’s food myself from the same ingredients used in MY food. Hopefully, many other pet owners will follow my example and limit further profits being made by people selling sub-standard food for our precious companions.
March 26th, 2007 at 3:09 am
Zip: 38201
Ol’Roy pouch food, Missy’s absolute favorite, forced us to put her down on February 16, 2007.
I want to see the true scope of this destruction published. I want to know exactly how many animals lost their lives, or had their quality of life reduced or shortened. I want to see these numbers splashed across every news wire and front page in this country. I want the companies involved to be held accountable for, and recognize, these losses and I want to see changes in the pet food industry to ensure this will not happen again. Unfortunately, I doubt any of these things will happen. We’re talking big business and government here, not a promising combination, unless they are looking out for each other.
I want to see pet owners educate themselves on what animals REALLY need in their diets. I want to see pet owners spend their dollars stateside, not only on pet food, but all things animal related. And while we’re at it, let’s extend that stateside spending to include items for humans, too. Just because our misguided government has opened the doors to imports, doesn’t mean that we have to buy those imports. I have HOPE that these things will happen because these are things that WE can do. Let’s make a dent in their bottom line. They’ll get the message and changes will follow.
IF, I get over the loss of Missy, our Havanese look-alike, and find the courage to get another dog, I may just cook another portion and feed her from our table. My childhood companion lived to be 15 years old on table scraps and then his death was caused by a car. That’s more years than Missy was allowed, thanks to Menu/Ol’Roy. After all, isn’t it the dog food companies that tell us table scraps aren’t good for our animals? Wonder why????
A nice old lady told me once that she believed there was a hotter place in Hell for people who mistreated animals. With all my heart, I hope she is right.
I grieve as you do, so I’m sending thoughts and prayers your way.
March 26th, 2007 at 3:20 am
Autumn Broughton
47401
It is incredibly horrible that companies with the image that they “care” about animals were so slow to react to this tradgedy, and that they are doing so little. Standards for animal food should be the same as they are for human food. You wouldn’t want to drink soured milk, eat rotting meat, etc. An animal shouldn’t have to either. And they shouldn’t be exposed to such health risks. Their health is just as important. Food manufacturers should be taking all measures that are needed to uphold a high quality of food for animals. My heart goes out to all that have lost their furry family members.
March 26th, 2007 at 3:41 am
Deborah LeFeber
17752
March 26th, 2007 at 4:26 am
Diane Olsen
91977
March 26th, 2007 at 6:48 am
Diane Bennett
34956
How do we know what is safe and was isn’t? Where did the poisoned wheat go? How do we know that it didn’t make into the Cheerios we feed the kids or the Frosted Mini Wheats we eat for breakfast? The FDA has dropped the ball on this one!! I have stopped feeding my 2 yr old Coton de Tulear ANY store bought dog food. He gets chiken and rice. My 4 cats are fine and eat Hills Science Diet. I have considered stopping that for them and puttng them people food. As pet owners how long can this go on? How do you place a value on your beloved pets? I couldn’t- the pain and suffering if one of them died due to the food would be to much, but Menu foods and I feel the US gov’t- needs to be held responsible for all the vet bills and losses from this. I also feel they need to be held responsible for long term care of any animal that pulls through this and may need life long treatment.
March 26th, 2007 at 7:16 am
78123 - Sherry Hunter
I work at a Veterinary office. I am simply appalled at what has been allowed happened. We have had several clients come in and are in Intensive Care because of the tainted foods. One sweet kitty passed on this weekend because of it. Others are being monitored and their outcome is unknown. Pets may just be animals to you…but to many of us, they are our friends, companions, and confidants…Those at fault should be held accountable. There should be required testing for those food items. I have seen both animals, and people die first hand. I cared for a Grandmother under hospice as well as pets in last moments of life. And as they breathe in that last moment of air, they are one in the same - A living, breathing creature. I will not stand by and watch innocent lives be extinguished.
March 26th, 2007 at 7:30 am
Kacy Romanik, 14424
March 26th, 2007 at 7:48 am
Some years ago, against my better judgement because of the stench coming from the cat food, I put it in the bowl of my cat and she eat some of it. Ever after, she refused to eat it.
Nevertheless, shortly after eating the stinking food she fell ill, gradually lost wait, yes, foamed at the mouth, her breath intolerable, refused to eat or drink water altogether, could no longer make it to the litter box, and I had her put to sleep.
Shut this stinking pet industry down, and make those responsible for producing this death-dealing garbage for our animals, not even to mention the cruelty of tests performed on animals. It’s nauseating.
Charlotte Masuda
March 26th, 2007 at 7:50 am
Pets are like children and it is our responsibility to keep them safe. In order to do that, we need to know what goes into the products we buy.
March 26th, 2007 at 8:20 am
Robin Peters-Turney 12866
March 26th, 2007 at 8:26 am
Our pets are family, not “property” as some believe. It is reprehensible that the pet food industry, including so called prescription and veterinary
diets, are not held accountable to higher standards and optimal quality
control. Unsafe preservatives, pesticides, rodenticides and poor grade
by-products have no place in any food source. My heart goes out to those
impacted by this tragic event….it is an example of negligence and arrogance on the part of Menu foods in particular, and the pet food industry
in general.
Grace Diemand 02534
March 26th, 2007 at 8:47 am
Doris Wishner
44140
March 26th, 2007 at 8:49 am
Judy Long
48357
March 26th, 2007 at 8:52 am
Judy Evans
06404
March 26th, 2007 at 8:55 am
44137
MeLissa Bommarito
March 26th, 2007 at 8:58 am
tammi willmott 40324
OUR ANIMALS ARE LOVED AS MUCH AS OUR CHILDREN. THEY SHOULD BE PROTECTED AND RESPECTED JUST THE SAME.I NOW HAVE A SICK CHILD BECAUSE OF THIS RECALL, MY LOVING DOG SASSY. THIS DIDN’T HAVE TO BE. I NOW HAVE GUILT FOR POISONING MY DOG.IF ONLY I KNEW MORE, SOONER.
March 26th, 2007 at 9:10 am
Hollyanne McMillan
mcmillanhm@yahoo.com
85044
March 26th, 2007 at 9:14 am
33778 Kat Brogan
The Chihuahua is a Service animal.She has tasks that require her to be healthy,to concentrate on her work and the mobility to do the tasks assigned to her. If she is sick from the food she eats then she can not do her job properly. I feel that not having more stiffer guide lines in our pet food producing is a hassard to all of us.We hold people in the Human food industry accoutable for their actions why not the pet food industry.To MILLIONS of people our pets are our BELOVED FURBABIES.ONE OF THE FAMILY.
March 26th, 2007 at 9:17 am
11230
Rachel Abend
March 26th, 2007 at 9:18 am
Scott McMillan
mcmillan429@msn.com
85044
March 26th, 2007 at 9:21 am
10704
Dawn Connolly
March 26th, 2007 at 9:23 am
81122
Andrea Gatley
March 26th, 2007 at 9:28 am
44130
Lisa E. Camargo
March 26th, 2007 at 9:30 am
06405
Camille Stevens
Our pets rely on us - they have no voice - the fact that thousand of defenseless animals are sick or have died is unacceptable. Speak out for your pets……your are their voice.
March 26th, 2007 at 9:30 am
08701, James Mazetta
March 26th, 2007 at 9:33 am
63118
Andrew Lewandowski
March 26th, 2007 at 9:34 am
06492, Suzanne Pinsonneault
March 26th, 2007 at 9:34 am
06067
Carlota Grate
March 26th, 2007 at 9:40 am
44107
Angela Straub
March 26th, 2007 at 9:41 am
Margarita, 46323
March 26th, 2007 at 9:52 am
06334
Ann Chambers