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
August 6th, 2007 at 10:46 am
77382
Kimberly Brown
August 6th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
94605 Kristyn Temple-Robinson
August 11th, 2007 at 12:01 am
57201
Laura Appelhof
August 16th, 2007 at 3:10 am
Erika Keiter
21222
I do agree in a way that they should be held accountable, but i also think its not 100% their fault.I think japan is the one that should be accountable b/c everyday you hear something new bein recalled and its manufactured from japan.
August 16th, 2007 at 8:24 am
22630- Marc Nelson
Do we really need a petition to force our elected representatives to do what is right and fair ? All corporations should be held accountable for the products they market. Wether if it is for humans or animals makes no difference. Would we be signing a petition if this was baby food ?
August 17th, 2007 at 8:20 am
Martha Huffman
37656
I lost my beautiful basset hound and best friend,CH Drumark’s PB, after feeding Nutro Natural Choice Puppy Chicken, Rice, and Oatmeal and Purina Pro Plan. He was going to the Eukanuba Championship in December and I wanted him to be in tip top condition. He was healthy and happy and had no prior health problems before I fed him tainted food. He became critically ill with renal failure in January after feeding him this food. Because I fed him this food prior to the announcement of the recall in March 2007, I had no reason to suspect that the food I was feeding him was making him sick, or would be the cause of his death. I had a huge vet bill which Nutro refuses to take care of because I did not keep the cans or a receipt. I simply had no reason to keep a receipt or an empty can. Now that this article has come out about Purina foods, I wonder about that too!
I feel if we trust a dog food company enough to feed our dogs their supposedly top rated food(and expensive at that!), they should be responsible enough to take care of the people who buy their foods and end up with sick or dead dogs . This lack of responsibility is sickening. Not only did I lose my top show dog to this food but I lost my dearest friend. My life has not been the same since.
This lack of responsibility makes me sick and very angry after the many thousands of dollars that I have spent with these companies to feed my dogs and they can’t even accept the respondsibility to pay the vet bill! GRRRR
August 17th, 2007 at 10:07 pm
27707 Gabrielle Gordon
August 19th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Joan McCool; 33771
Pet Food companys should be held accountable, they are the ones profiting from the shoddy way they prepare our pets foods and treats!! There has to be a ban placed on products coming from China, and any other country that practices this kind of shoddy business. Please, crack down on the FDA and other departments that get paid by tax payers to watch out for the safety of the citizens of the USA.
Thank You for this opportunity.
August 19th, 2007 at 11:44 am
Janet Pulkka; 55427
August 21st, 2007 at 3:39 pm
Carol Ann Sheaffer 32809 There ought to be redress for anyone who’s pet has become ill or died because of food or treats labeled for animal consumption. And, it should not be difficult to receive either. Most families cannot afford the vet bills that will be incurred in trying to save a pet, leaving them with the awful choice. Perhaps stringent monetary sanctions against the manufacturers, brands and distributors will get the attention of those who have caused so much pain and suffering. In the end, it is all about profit and the bottom line.
Finally, WHY do these companies buy pet food ingredients OUTSIDE the U.S.?? Because its so much cheaper and the FDA cannot then do its job properly. Our family will never again buy any food product, whether for pets or people from China. Accordingly, the Kingdom Pets Chicken Jerky we buy from Costco is going back for a refund, in spite of the e-mail from the Costco home office to all of their managers that their Chinese made Chicken Jerky is “irradiated” and processed just as beef jerky is for humans…..
August 22nd, 2007 at 12:51 pm
12824 ANGELA BRUCE
THE DOG FOOD COMPANIES ARE ALL ABOUT MONEY. MONEY, MONEY, MONEY. THEY FORGET THE REASON THEY HAVE ALL THAT MONEY. IT’S DOGS. DOGS ARE FAMILY MEMBERS. I HAVE 5 LABRADOR RETRIEVERS AND I WOULD GO WITHOUT FOOD MYSELF IN ORDER TO PAY MORE FOR THEIR FOOD. I WOULD NOT HESITATE FOR A MOMENT PAYING HIGHER PRICES IF THAT MEANT MORE QUALITY IN THE PRODUCT. I HATE CHINA. NO MATTER WHAT I BUY NOW, I CHECK FOR “MADE IN CHINA”. IF IT SAYS THAT, I DON’T BUY. THEY PROBABLY SIT OVER THERE AND PLOT ABOUT WHAT THEY CAN DO TO US NEXT. TAINTED DOG FOOD, LEAD PAINT IN CHILDRENS TOYS, ETC. DAMN THEM!!!!!!!!
August 22nd, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Irene Wilson
93727
August 23rd, 2007 at 9:14 am
I fed my 19 year old and 12 year old cats, Coot and Albert, a prescription diet recommended by our veterinarian. I thought that this food was of the highest quality, because it was a prescription diet—-Hill’s MD—and because I paid a good price for it. Unfortunately, my Coot was old and it weakened him easily and put him into renal failure. He went to Rainbow Bridge in May. It was one of the saddest days of my life.
I don’t have a receipt to prove this, and don’t want compensation, as nothing will ever be compensation for the loss of my friend. I just want stricter standards so that no companion or human parent will suffer over the greed and lack of commitment to keeping our pets safe.
August 23rd, 2007 at 11:54 pm
Jody Tolley 43780
August 28th, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Linda McCarty
23116
September 1st, 2007 at 4:32 pm
Ala Howell 32720-5654
September 3rd, 2007 at 10:14 am
Australia 3152 Michael Tomlinson
One cat dead, one dying - Hills Science Diet (made in the USA)
September 5th, 2007 at 8:43 am
Kristi Doughty, 45661
September 8th, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Stephanie Carvelli - 75071
September 9th, 2007 at 5:12 pm
33543
Maria Aramburo
September 19th, 2007 at 11:57 pm
30012 cheryl ovenshire
This has been the most eye opening disaster!! All of the involved companies should be held responsible for all the deaths and illness caused by their shameful disreguard for standards of quality. I had researched several of what I thought to be holistic brands carefully, only to find out that the company I chose Blue Buffalo was recalled. I was horrified to think that I may have been responsible for feeding poison to my beautful english bulldogs, The loves of mine and my husbands life!! My heart goes out to all the poor innocent suffering animals and their pet parents! God bless their soles…I now feed my sweethearts Flint river ranch food. They have not had any recalls and stand behind their quality.
September 23rd, 2007 at 4:05 pm
99208
SANDRA STEEVES
I AM SICKENED AND DISGUSTED AT THE IRRESPONSIBILITY OF THE PET FOOD INDUSTRY
September 23rd, 2007 at 9:30 pm
While I am just as sickened as all of you regarding this atrocity, there is one of you who signed this who just goes around looking for ways to sue people. Debbie, you know that’s all you care about is lawsuit after lawsuit.
You were injured on the job. I find it awfully curious how you can live near Miami but need to see a lung specialist in Kissimmee every three months. What’s the matter, Debbie? Were there no doctors who’d sign off on your phony claim that you can’t work any more, or are you claiming this so your husband will divorce you and leave you the house?
If he does leave you the house, I already know you won’t remarry because then there’d be NO MORE ALIMONY! This is exactly what your sister did!
September 29th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
WHAT PET FOOD COMPANIES GET AWAY WITH IS DISGUSTING. THE LEAST THEY CAN DO S PAY THE POOR PEOPLE WHO LOST THEIR PET’S MEDICAL BILLS. THEY MAKE ENOUGH IN PROFITS AS IT IS.
October 4th, 2007 at 5:23 pm
Disgusting, just disgusting. We pay a lot of money in the hope that our poor dogs and cats get the best food possible. And again, it is only the money that companies can’t get enough of. A shame, who can we trust????
October 6th, 2007 at 10:05 pm
A Allison
79701
I wonder if this is what caused the blood clot that suddenly killed our precious Teddy, this summer? All of my dogs and cats have eaten Science Diet, prescribed by our vet, all their lives. My family & I are devastated and will NEVER get over losing him. In memory and honor of TEDDY & all the animals of this planet, I endorse this petition, along with my 8 year old daughter and 75 year old mother, whom I’m afraid, this has worsened her health and depression. Shame on everyone involved in this cover up and mass murder. This killing must stop now! Don’t forget to spay & neuter your pets. Thanks itchmo for all of your help.
October 10th, 2007 at 4:09 pm
18444 Christy Dutko
October 14th, 2007 at 2:07 pm
This has got to be stooped. Menu foods bought wheat and rice gluten from china to save money and fatten their own pockets. first of all wheat and gluttens are not good for animals. Make sure when you buy food you go to smaller company. Eaglepack.com or wellness a company that will talk to you and tell you where they buy their ingredients. This is our goverments fault for letting china take over overthing from our food to pet food to toys.
October 17th, 2007 at 2:44 am
84110
I would like this petition to encourage the manufacturer’s of our pet food products to be properly educated and knowledgeable about the impact poor quality food has on our pet’s health and then greatly improve the quality to sustain and promote health.
October 17th, 2007 at 9:26 pm
Joellen Megan
52245
October 18th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
48302
Karen Orlando
October 29th, 2007 at 7:43 am
Kimberly Lockett
256 Meadow drive
North Tonawanda, NY 14120
October 29th, 2007 at 7:45 am
My cat has died due to the poisoned cat fod and I wish something can be done about this so that no one else will lose their animals
Kimberly Lockett
256 Meadow drive
North Tonawanda, NY 14120
November 12th, 2007 at 7:37 pm
20190 Valerie Schuster
November 12th, 2007 at 8:55 pm
59801 Pat Memoli
November 12th, 2007 at 11:20 pm
23454
November 12th, 2007 at 11:21 pm
23454 Diane Olivas
November 12th, 2007 at 11:23 pm
23454 Adam Olivas
November 13th, 2007 at 1:54 pm
Tina Mussante
20732
November 13th, 2007 at 1:55 pm
20732
TINA MUSSANTE
November 14th, 2007 at 2:47 pm
07410
Samantha Berger
Disgusted and Astonished
November 18th, 2007 at 3:49 pm
It doesn’t seem like the FDA cares about taking care of this problem. I actually read that they said its up do the dog food and cat food manafacturer to do a re-call. I just read this this the other day. I hate this and I goverment seems to have these big investors from china. That is what I heard and I hope I am wrong but why are we buying this stuff for our pets and our children. Be sure if you are going to feed dog food and cat food it is made in the US. A smaller company won’t buy their ingredients from china. I use Eagle Pack hollistic food. www.eaglepack.com. I am thinking of switching to honest kitchen and I am also cooking too. No hormones and antibotics in the meat for my dog. People with large animals are at a disadvantage though. This has got to stop. read labels everyone and don’t buy from china unless you have too. you can also go to Google and search made in the USA.
November 23rd, 2007 at 12:55 am
44133
Steve Umek
November 24th, 2007 at 1:32 pm
The pet food Companies should pay all pet owers who lost their pet’s medical bills. FDA heads are in the sand.
November 30th, 2007 at 7:42 am
77429, Tim Harmon
December 5th, 2007 at 5:35 pm
so many recalls it jsut seem nothig is being done i hear of lot stuff that not safe but it mght be nice ot hear what is safe
December 6th, 2007 at 2:08 am
29650
Cindy Cohn
December 6th, 2007 at 2:22 am
Two of my cats died a month ago because they did not eat their Hill’s Prescription Diet z/d food, and developed hepatic lipidosis. A third one developed it and lived. I have eleven indoor cats (that I rescued and tamed from a feral colony) that eat together, but only three need to be on the prescription food. I have had all of them on it for three years because many of my cats are related, and some developed the need before the others, so I thought it was safest to put all of them on z/d. I did not know there were still problems with tainted food or bad ingredients. Not only that, but when I spoke to Hill’s they said they notified all vets of recent changes in the food. The vets my cats saw had heard nothing. Some cats are finicky eaters, and I did not notice some were not eating until one showed symptoms. I rushed him to the emergency vet, and then brought all the others that didn’t appear sick to be tested that week by my regular vet. They all had lost weight, but the three sick ones had to be surgically put on feeding tubes. Two had severe liver damage and did not make it. I have thousands of dollars in vet bills for each cat. The two that died were five and seven years old. The seven year old was the father cat, and our best cat. The others are not the same without him, and we are devastated. I thought I was giving them something safe - especially because it was a prescription costing $45 for a ten pound bag.
December 7th, 2007 at 8:21 am
29673
Coleen Kennedy
December 8th, 2007 at 7:10 am
Katy Faber
98498
I feed my dog z/d dog prescription food due to allergies…and if the dog food causes death…i will sue.