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
June 10th, 2007 at 4:45 pm
Linda M. Young, M.D. 18902
June 10th, 2007 at 4:57 pm
This recall should have gotten more of attention and should have a strict law on how our food is processed for our pets. Pets are just as important as people, same way as the food consumed.
June 10th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
What are these manufacturers thinking? Be responsible regardless what live being you are feeding - there is NO excuse NOT EVEN ACCIDENTAL that can justify all the mistakes making animals ill. It’s unacceptable.
June 10th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
What are these manufacturers thinking? Be responsible regardless what live being you are feeding - there is NO excuse NOT EVEN ACCIDENTAL that can justify all the mistakes making animals ill. It’s unacceptable.
Camden Smith
34119
June 10th, 2007 at 7:54 pm
I think its about time someone gets involved in what we feed our pets, don’t forget they are our family and then some.
Regards
Gary & Madeline Bartholf
West Paterson,n.j.07424-2712
June 10th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
Some one should get involved in what we feed our pets because they are our family and then some.
Regards
Gary & Madeline Bartholf
West Paterson,n.j. 07424-2712
June 10th, 2007 at 8:01 pm
38034 martha spears
June 10th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
38034 martha spears my 11 mo old poodle cocoa has always ate imas and is now sick not sure what is wrong with her .
June 10th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
my 11 mo old poodle is sick now vet not sure what is wrong with her she has been eating iams dry dog food that is all she has ever ate i thank that the dog food companys should be held responsible for this martha spears friendship tn 38034
June 10th, 2007 at 8:12 pm
my 11 mo old poodle is sick now vet not sure what is wrong with her she has been eating iams dry dog food that is all she has ever ate i thank that the dog food companys should be held responsible for this willie spears friendship tn 38034
June 10th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
10037 Deb P.
June 10th, 2007 at 10:35 pm
My Cat Monte of 11 years died recently. Although the food he ate wasn’t on the recall list I think it may have taken his life as he was a very healthy and strong cat. He ate Hill’s Prescription c/d exclusively. He became very ill and quickly deteriorated.
June 11th, 2007 at 3:19 am
96708, Theresa Caesar
June 11th, 2007 at 7:29 am
James A.Begley
Jimbo503@aol.com
June 11th, 2007 at 11:09 am
This is an atrocious crime against our FurKids. If something like this occurred to a human child the authorities would automatically jump to the conclusion that ‘The Parents Must Have Done It’ and have all children pulled away from their homes, and the parents charged with First Degree Murder. How long would it take the powers that be to put one and one together to realize that a food source – from a foreign country, that we use to grow and process here, was to blame? My guess is much longer than we could imagine, because the system automatically puts blame onto the parents, because it is easier, when there is no clear reason for them to do it. Just because our FurKids meow and bark instead of speaking English as our human children do, does not mean that they should be denied the same rights our human children have! It is time that our government opens its eyes and realizes that this could be happening to the human population just as easily. At least humans have a voice and can speak out, where as our FurKids depend on us to speak up for them. I am blessed – my twins did not suffer from this outright poisonings, but very easily could have. My heart aches for those who have lost such a wonderfully devoted FurKid, and I firmly believe that something MUST be done. Hello Washington! Can you hear me? Stop turning your backs on those living in this country for a change! Even if some of those are FurKids!
Pamela Wingert-Loomis 14905-1637
June 11th, 2007 at 11:22 am
99801
Toni Shattenberg
June 11th, 2007 at 2:03 pm
I have always LOVED animals — especially dogs and I find these tainted pet foods despicable and totally unnecessary. These animals are much more to many of us than property, they are part of our family units and many will even go as far as to say, they are like our children. We have two rescue dogs and we do a lot of petsitting for many different animals. Each time I feed the owner’s food to their pets, I wonder to myself, “Is THIS food O.K.?!?!? How ridiculous this situation has been. When it comes to life (whether animal OR human), whether our food supply is safe or not should not even enter our minds. What has happened to OUR Country??? Our foods should be planted, made, bought, raised, etc… from within the United States ONLY! The guidelines and standards should be so strict and should be checked on a ongoing basis. WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH OUR GOVERNMENT?!?!?!? They are SUPPOSE to be PROTECTING all LEGAL United States citizens AND animals. We are the GREATEST Nation in the world so why are we having to worry about our food, water, our borders, our safety, and even the air we breath???? What a sad (and frightening) state of affairs we are in!!!! WAKE UP political leaders before it’s to late — if it isn’t already.
June 11th, 2007 at 2:37 pm
60060, Carol Seleski
June 11th, 2007 at 11:39 pm
17252 Sandra Richey
June 11th, 2007 at 11:47 pm
46531 Amber Good
June 12th, 2007 at 12:25 am
Charlotte Venable 72762
June 12th, 2007 at 2:21 am
Jane Lee
M4P 1Y7
June 12th, 2007 at 10:11 am
33496 Harry W Ruffner III
33496 Ivana A Ruffner
June 12th, 2007 at 10:28 am
37849 Yvonne Thomas
Please make it safer for our pets.
June 12th, 2007 at 10:48 am
19380 Christine Rose
June 12th, 2007 at 1:01 pm
06067, Dawn Miller
June 12th, 2007 at 1:29 pm
Dawn Franklin 35444
June 12th, 2007 at 1:31 pm
35444 Dawn Franklin
June 12th, 2007 at 3:12 pm
Vanhoy, Mickie 73034
June 12th, 2007 at 3:52 pm
47408
Justin Mead Robertson
June 12th, 2007 at 4:14 pm
Maryellen Fitzgerald
02148
June 12th, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Judith Meek (60453)
It’s long over due.
June 12th, 2007 at 9:03 pm
78245 Chelsea Roberts please animal mean alot to me i love them sooooo much, please do something for this problem cuz i would not like to lose my three cats to food poisoning.
June 12th, 2007 at 9:25 pm
Our pets are a part of the family. They deserve to be treated as such and the people that have contaminated the pet foods should be held accountable. Linda Vivian
June 12th, 2007 at 11:00 pm
47850
Karen
Vines
June 13th, 2007 at 1:29 am
34744
my poor sherbert would still be alive if we would have known about the recal
these ppl just don’t care about our beloved pets …. all they want is more money …. :(:(
June 13th, 2007 at 12:04 pm
Tracy White 32792
June 13th, 2007 at 12:33 pm
iam very disturbed that the media can spend so much time on paris hilton and so little n this subject.l I have just lost an old kittie to this problem,and wonder if this is some of problem that has caused my granddaugther to be autistic.
June 13th, 2007 at 7:02 pm
92008
Alina Vinales
June 13th, 2007 at 7:04 pm
92008
June 13th, 2007 at 7:46 pm
03054 ~ Michelle Clark
I don’t know why all of a sudden we are hearing about all this stuff in our pets foods but I definately think the companies should be held accountable for what they are producing, it would be like any other company as well, the milk industry, cheese, car seats, even automobiles themselves… if they are made bad, it is up to the company to correct this and be held responsible. To not take responsibility shows that the company does not care for Joe Public that buys their product, does not stand behind it and is just in it for the buck. It’s time to stop passing the buck and to give the public what they pay for, a quality product at a quality price. And stop using junk to cut cost, in the end, it gets you no where except where you are now…. In trouble.
June 13th, 2007 at 8:39 pm
27942
Trudy Jackson
My pets would be alive had I known the food was toxic!!
June 13th, 2007 at 8:43 pm
27942 Trudy Jackson My pets would still be alive if I had known about the toxic food. Someone has to be held accountable.
June 13th, 2007 at 8:48 pm
18518 Connie Lipisko
June 13th, 2007 at 8:53 pm
18518 Connie Lipisko
I strongly believe that Pet Food makers should be held to strict regulations and should be inspected just as human food is. Both industries need major improvement and pro-active measures taken to ensure safe consumption. My pets are not considered anything less than family. I love them with all my heart and would never want to lose one to something like this, that can and should be prevented. Step up and protect our loved ones please!
June 13th, 2007 at 8:54 pm
18518 Andrea Peranich
Please help us protect and save our beloved pets!
June 13th, 2007 at 10:29 pm
If it had not been for this tainted dog food. My dog would be alive and healthy today.
June 13th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
Anne Detiveaux, 70301
June 13th, 2007 at 11:57 pm
Jo Helms 54915
It is horribly overdue for the Pet Food Industry to take responsibility and accountability for the products that they manufacture. There needs to be stronger regulations that govern over them with punitive actions when those regulations are not adhered to. Pet Food should be safe and healthy, not full of toxins that will harm or possibly kill them. Sadly, pets can not tell us when they are not feeling well and often times once symptoms develop, it may already be too late to reverse the damage. Offering to “replace” someone’s pet is just not acceptable. They are not a commodity, they are family members and deserve better than that.
June 14th, 2007 at 4:17 am
89509
Cheryl Holzle
Pet food manufacturers must be held accountable, with full disclosure as to where it was manufactured and where all ingredients came from. No more garbage fillers with no nutritional value for pets.