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
May 6th, 2007 at 7:22 am
32962 Rosa Harding
May 6th, 2007 at 7:37 am
07456
Christine Coslet
May 6th, 2007 at 7:56 am
Heather L. Buchman, 21045
May 6th, 2007 at 8:16 am
27516 Susan Duke
I’ve been fortunate that none of my pets have been affected, as I didn’t happen to use these foods.
But this fiasco has brought 2 additional things to light that I’m glad are finally seeing the light of day:
The food raw materials distribution - for pets, livestock and people - is looser than it ought to be. Especially knowing that a few places like Menu manufacture so much of the pet food. Makes me wonder if the same could happen with human food?
The “light” foods that pet food manufacturers sell - what a load of BS - these foods are loaded with carbs, which is not what a cat needs to lose weight. Sure, people need to be disciplined and refrain from free feeding their overweight animals, but the foods out there to actually help a pet lose weight are few and far between.
While this 2nd issue is less serious than the 1st, I do hope it is addressed as well, because pet food manufacturers are giving us an advertising line, rather than basing their ‘light’ food recipes on science.
May 6th, 2007 at 9:05 am
Carla Pasquale
07470
May 6th, 2007 at 9:06 am
Jeff Young
07470
May 6th, 2007 at 10:11 am
78023
David Smith
May 6th, 2007 at 10:31 am
Kim McDaniels 46350
May 6th, 2007 at 10:44 am
Sherry Wemple
97015
May 6th, 2007 at 10:59 am
wendy white 46385
May 6th, 2007 at 11:09 am
karen Kontizas 18328
Yes, all dog food companies should be accountable for their foods.
May 6th, 2007 at 11:51 am
Laura Hudson 15122
This fiasco truly shows the need to overhaul the FDA. How can an agency that has allowed such death and misery to occur in our pet population be trusted to safeguard human health issues?
May 6th, 2007 at 11:55 am
Laura Hudson 15122
This fiasco truly shows the need to overhaul the FDA. How can an agency that has allowed such death and misery to occur in our pet population be trusted to safeguard human health issues? Again, corporate greed comes before the health, safety and well being of pets and, now it seems, their owners as well as this danger enters the human food chain. They MUST be held accountable.
May 6th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
N2B 7M7
Jean Dament
May 6th, 2007 at 12:14 pm
I am a concerned pet owner.
N2B 1M7
Mrs. Jean Dament
May 6th, 2007 at 12:51 pm
je demande le contrôle de la nourriture pour chiens et chats par un organisme indépendant.
May 6th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
19810 Danielle Filliben
May 6th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
15801 Kelly Shindledecker
May 6th, 2007 at 2:08 pm
15801
Kelly Shindledecker
May 6th, 2007 at 2:34 pm
Cheri Levenson
85028
May 6th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
48091
Guy Johnston
Concerned pet owner
May 6th, 2007 at 3:24 pm
44067
Mary Ann Bleich
May 6th, 2007 at 3:35 pm
Very concerned rescue pet owner!
May 6th, 2007 at 3:44 pm
06870
May 6th, 2007 at 3:45 pm
06870
Ellie Gerli
May 6th, 2007 at 4:03 pm
11354 Lainie Thinknot
May 6th, 2007 at 4:46 pm
90245 Nicolette Aubourg
May 6th, 2007 at 4:50 pm
Peter and Stefanie VanderLaag
11025 Choiceana Ave.
Hesperia, CA 92345
We are appalled that there is not more scrutiny in the pet food industry. There should be serious financial consequences for this neglect so it doesn’t happen again. To poison your own pet is the ultimate horror…even if it was done unknowingly.
May 6th, 2007 at 4:51 pm
60646
Leigh Hourihane
May 6th, 2007 at 5:04 pm
Jo Scheetz
18052
I feel that since I’m PAYING for pet food I deserve to know not only not only the ingredients but also where it’s manufactured and the origin of where the vegetable proteins and glutens.
At this point I’m fearful of buying any brands due to cross-contamination since most pet food companies won’t disclose the name of their manufacturer.
Unless the food is free of charge, they don’t have the right to withhold that very pertinent information.
It’s like playing Russian Roulette with my dogs lives and I prefer not to play.
My dogs are more then just property to me, and I believe that as citizens of the USA we should all have the right to know what we’re buying is not going to kill our pets.
Thank you,
Jo Scheetz
May 6th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
02703
Muriel Reilly
May 6th, 2007 at 5:19 pm
18951
Jani Scheetz
May 6th, 2007 at 5:29 pm
05478
Martha Ryan
May 6th, 2007 at 5:33 pm
Cindy Van Allen
44822
There does need to be accountability.
I researched long and hard for what I thought would be the best dog food for my 2 dogs.
Their dog foods have not *yet* beed recalled, but companies will not give out specific info of where the ingredients were grown, and now with cross contamination, where they are even manufactured.
Now I wait everyday to see if the other shoe is going to drop, and not knowing if I am hurting my dogs every time I put their food bowl down.
Plus it seems like it’s always late Friday before most companies finally issue a recall–how long do they sit on info before letting THEIR consumers know?? Too long.
May 6th, 2007 at 6:39 pm
94599
Nancy Bueno
May 6th, 2007 at 6:47 pm
56560
Joanne Pounds
May 6th, 2007 at 7:42 pm
73072
Debra Emerson
May 6th, 2007 at 7:44 pm
i believe all pet food makeers should be held accountable for what goes into their foods, as well as what we eat!!!!!
May 6th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
Helen D. Bilowus
14218
May 6th, 2007 at 8:56 pm
Thank you for helping us keep our animals healthy and safe. They rely on us for good judgment and we rely on our food suppliers not to be greedy or dishonest.
May 6th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
12401
Elizabeth Petry
PLEASE do something about this A.S.A.P.!!! Our pets are more than just property, they are our beloved family members! We do not need to lose another pet because of heartless people who ’shortchange’ the quality of our pet food!
This is absolutely heinous!
May 6th, 2007 at 9:22 pm
patricia kavanaugh 06779 I lost my eight year old min pin to liver failure this week. ? from recalled food- nutro and advantage.
May 6th, 2007 at 9:23 pm
06779 patricia kavanaugh
May 6th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
I made some badges if anyone wants to put one on their website: http://www.elainevigneault.com.....rofit.html
May 6th, 2007 at 10:20 pm
Vicki McLean 97850
May 6th, 2007 at 10:23 pm
97850
Vicki McLean
May 6th, 2007 at 10:39 pm
44515
Doreen Monroe
The pet food manufacturers need to be held accountable for their products.
May 6th, 2007 at 11:33 pm
61073 Penny Hall
May 6th, 2007 at 11:34 pm
61073 Joe Conti
May 6th, 2007 at 11:40 pm
Barbara Whittenbarger 45891
Losing a pet is very difficult to bear! And to feel partly resposible for it would be unbearable. Our pets are valued members of our families who depend on us to keep them safe. Please help any way you can to ease the pain of those who have lost loved ones due to this situation.