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)
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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 23rd, 2007 at 6:10 pm
30324
Elizbeth Richardson
My Dog Chloe is at the vet on IV’s as i type this, she has renal failure. I fed her Iams dog food. I am devastated .
March 23rd, 2007 at 6:15 pm
Manny Hernandez, NYC, 10471
Menu foods has hurt and possibly killed our two cat-children and I believe they should pay. Money alone will not do. The CEO, CFO and COO must resign for the good of the company or whatever is left of this miserable company after all the litigation that is sure to come. After their termination, we, the pet owners, should be allowed to get our hands on them so they can see how we do in the Big Apple. I am not afraid to say that I could care less about the consequences of what I would do to them! Tempus Fugit, Carpa Diem!
March 23rd, 2007 at 6:16 pm
54603
Celia Henk
I purchased a six-pack of Iams canned food for my dog in January as a “treat” food - he LOVES to eat canned food. He suffered severe diarrhea but luckily no complications - that I am aware of. (I had NO idea it could have been caused by his food…I assumed he had gotten into something). I had to purchase special food from the vet for him to eat for a few days until he was better. Approximately 2-3 weeks later, I fed him another can out of that 6-pack which he VERY reluctantly ate (HE must have known something about it wasn’t right) and after 2-3 hours was having difficulty urinating, running in circles outside with diarrhea and again, I had NO REASON to suspect the food. He was miserable for 1-2 days. Now all his misery makes sense. If you can’t trust a high-end brand like Iams - then who? This “recall” is too little too late. My dog was lucky -there were others that were not and I feel so, so sad for their owners. My Buddy has been my best friend for 10 years now and I NEVER thought I would have to worry about his food killing him. And the worst thing about this is they DIDN’T LET PEOPLE KNOW IMMEDIATELY ABOUT THIS SO THEY COULD POSSIBLY HAVE PREVENTED THEIR PETS DEATHS. Makes me sick - money and public relations are more important, right?!?!? We all are aware that bad things can happen and we are all subject to that, but gee, let’s wait and see how many deaths there are before we actually WARN people because maybe they’ll never figure it out………. or make the connection that it’s the food………..or just blow it off………………….. or……………………..eventually they’ll forget about it………………or…….
March 23rd, 2007 at 6:31 pm
52338, Lorie Neff
March 23rd, 2007 at 6:36 pm
Lynn Styles
7079981675
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:02 pm
95605 Dallas Draper
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:07 pm
Jennifer Bardell 98074
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:10 pm
Adele Sidlow 60089
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:26 pm
21811
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:27 pm
21811
Judy Siegmund
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:32 pm
John Antos 18612
I guess that if the federal goverment lets this goes without a problem, then we are next. First our pets, Next us.
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:36 pm
Phyllis Antos 18612
I believe this situation may have been going on a lot longer than consumers have been aware of.
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:45 pm
92694
Jeanna Solomon
March 23rd, 2007 at 7:48 pm
44129
Kathy Zalewski
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:00 pm
Animals are important!
44070
Debbie Price
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:02 pm
92627
Ann Hallett
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Jennifer Damron 40004
This is a great country. In this country we have the ability to be self sufficient, meaning we don’t need to import crap from foreign countries! If government started taxing the companies that outsource their products maybe it could be a big plus for the American economy.
We make it too easy for companies to make products in foreign countries, it needs to stop!
I know full well that there are American farmers who grow wheat. The recent pet food tragedy could have been avoided by using wheat from the USA! Although cats and dogs don’t actually need wheat in their diets, I know that improper pet diets will continue (unfortunately) At least use products from US suppliers!
Pet food companies need to be regulated, not just said that they are!
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:20 pm
Cindy Mullenix 92886
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:23 pm
Ashley Szymkowicz
12487
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:24 pm
Beverlee Richmond
44145
NorthEast Ohio alpaca farmers recently lost several of their herd due to Land O’Lakes inadvertently putting antibiotics into alpaca feed. (The antibiotics were supposed to go into chicken feed.) Female alpacas cost anywhere between $20,000 to $40,000 each with prize male studs going for up to $300,000 but moreso is the emotional loss. These poor people were devastated not only because of the financial loss but because they love these gentle animals, calling them a “huggable investment”. ANY food product, whether it’s for humans, birds, mammals, whatever - all living beings are worth ensuring their food source is safe for consumption. Won’t somebody step up to the plate and be accountable, for God’s sake?
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:31 pm
Sylvia Ward
R2X 0C5
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:37 pm
Jodi Weinbaum
43230
March 23rd, 2007 at 8:54 pm
I meant to say alpaca breeders - not farmers - sorry!
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:02 pm
Ginger Snyder
32653
In memory of Salem Snyder
My sweet baby girl!
Died 3/19/07 Kidney Disease from Recalled food
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:10 pm
Bo Alawine
39565
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:15 pm
10579 C. Wulkan
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:24 pm
24263
Billie Bruce
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:27 pm
93550
Wendy Allen
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:27 pm
Toni DeCanzio Fraley
14526
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:36 pm
Michelle Murray
50315
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:37 pm
76017 Marilyn Smallen
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:48 pm
Jeanette Sutton
92553
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:56 pm
28412 Susan Gallozzi
March 23rd, 2007 at 9:58 pm
Brooke Miller 33409
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:06 pm
30101, Bruce Gillem
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:06 pm
32348
Christina Carlile
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:08 pm
Nikki Gold
32348
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:08 pm
30101, Bruce gillem
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:34 pm
Nancy Penter 46561
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:37 pm
In honor of my Sally….who passed away this week at the age of 19..will miss her..she did not eat the recalled food…but. in her memory..
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:45 pm
19350 Susan Jeffrey
Please change the regulation of the pet food industry to the standards of the human food industry.
In memory of Affenhaus Otis Redding of Affenage, and for Otto - may he continue to improve.
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:47 pm
Toronto, Ontario Canada
M5A 4B8
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:51 pm
70548
Paul Breaux
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:51 pm
This is terrible, and MUST NOT happen again !!
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:53 pm
For Bo, our 4 year old deaf cat, who has suffered through kidney failure for the last two weeks.
Hoping he makes it through this in Fremont, CA
Charlene Horn 94536
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:54 pm
paula montgomery 62265
March 23rd, 2007 at 10:56 pm
brian richman
02116
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:00 pm
97211
sarah hollowood
——
our cats, rascal + lucy, have been eating nutro wet food in the pouch for years (in addition to the dry nutro). we stopped feeding them this food as soon as we heard from a friend of the specific recall for the wet nutro products. however, since then, we have learned that the list of recalled foods is much, much larger. we took them to the vet for a check up + blood tests as soon as we could. a day later, the vet called us with the unfortunate news that both of our girls had elevated levels of toxins in their system, most likely due to eating this food. we had essentially been poisoning them for the last few months, and had no idea, which is heartbreaking. we had to take them back to the vet, where they have been put on IVs to try to flush the toxins from their systems. the vet will be testing their blood again to see if the treatment is helping. hopefully, with this treatment, our girls will be better + home with us soon. but, so many other are less fortunate than us, and have already lost their dear friends to this, and my heart goes out to all of you.
menu foods must be held responsible for this.
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:03 pm
C. Blasquez 95682
March 23rd, 2007 at 11:06 pm
89030
Sara Tanner