Pet owners file class-action suit over tainted food
Pastor Dale Morgan
Pet owners file class-action suit over tainted food*
POSTED: 2114 GMT (0514 HKT), March 22, 2007
Story Highlights
• Lawsuit claims manufacturer produced, distributed dangerous pet food
• Plaintiff says she has spent $3,000 on veterinary care for sick cat
• Menu Foods doesn't comment on suit, offers condolences to pet owners
• Recall announced March 16 after cats and dogs suffer renal failure
MADISON, Wisconsin (CNN) -- More than 95 pet owners have joined a
class-action lawsuit against Menu Foods Inc., saying it produced and
distributed pet food that might be dangerous, and possibly deadly, to
animals.
Jacqueline Johnson of Madison, Wisconsin, filed the suit Tuesday. The
complaint contends her gray tabby, Gumbie, became ill after eating food
from an Iams Select Bites pouch in early February. Gumbie became
lethargic, refused food and lost weight, she said, and a veterinarian
diagnosed acute renal failure. The cat was "pet-hospitalized" and
prescribed intravenous fluids.
Johnson told CNN she considers herself lucky. "Thankfully we got her to
the vet in time. My cat was very ill, but there are lots of people
around the country whose pets have died or been euthanized."
Since coming home, Gumbie has required a great deal of care. "It is
stressful to have to stick a needle in the cat every day," said Johnson,
who has had to administer daily subcutaneous fluid-and-drip injections
since bringing Gumbie home.
Gumbie is likely to require medical tests and monitoring every few
months, and Johnson expects this will increase her expenses
considerably. She said she already has paid more than $3,000 in
veterinary bills.
Johnson's attorney, Frank Jablonski of Progressive Law Group, said more
than 95 people have joined the suit since it was filed, and he expects
many more.
"We have all the clients we need," he said. "We wouldn't bring a lawsuit
that we are not confident we will win." The lawsuit is seeking an
unspecified amount of damages. Courts will have to certify the class and
what venue will hear the case.
Menu Foods spokesperson Sam Bornstein declined to comment on the
lawsuit, but said the company has received tens of thousands of consumer
inquiries and is doing its best to respond to them. "Our hearts go out
to many thousands of pet owners, some of them for their losses and some
for their worry," he said.
Menu Foods announced the precautionary recall on March 16. The recall
affects dog and cat food manufactured between December 3 and March 6,
and is limited to "cuts and gravy" style pet food in cans and pouches
produced at its plants in Kansas and New Jersey. The food is packaged
under a wide variety of brand names.
Both the Food and Drug Administration and Menu Foods have been unable to
identify the root cause of the problem, but the FDA said Tuesday that
officials were focusing on a recent supply of wheat gluten as the likely
culprit.
Recalled cat foods
Americas Choice, Preferred Pets; Authority; Best Choice; Companion;
Compliments; Demoulas Market Basket; Eukanuba; Fine Feline Cat; Food
Lion; Foodtown; Giant Companion; Hannaford; Hill Country Fare; Hy-Vee;
Iams; Laura Lynn; Li'l Red; Loving Meals; Meijer's Main Choice;
Nutriplan; Nutro Max Gourmet Classics; Nutro Natural Choice; Paws; Pet
Pride; Presidents Choice; Price Chopper; Priority US; Save-A-Lot Special
Blend; Schnucks; Science Diet Feline Savory Cuts Cans; Sophistacat;
Special Kitty Canada; Special Kitty US; Springfield Prize; Sprout; Stop
& Shop Companion; Tops Companion; Wegmans; Weis Total Pet; Western
Family US; White Rose; and Winn Dixie.
Recalled dog foods
America's Choice, Preferred Pets; Authority; Award; Best Choice; Big
Bet; Big Red; Bloom; Cadillac; Companion; Demoulas Market Basket;
Eukanuba; Food Lion; Giant Companion; Great Choice; Hannaford; Hill
Country Fare; Hy-Vee; Iams; Laura Lynn; Loving Meals; Meijer's Main
Choice; Mighty Dog Pouch; Mixables; Nutriplan; Nutro Max; Nutro Natural
Choice; Nutro Ultra; Nutro; Ol'Roy Canada; Ol'Roy US; Paws; Pet
Essentials; Pet Pride - Good n Meaty; Presidents Choice; Price Chopper;
Priority Canada; Priority US; Publix; Roche Brothers; Save-A-Lot Choice
Morsels; Schnucks; Springfield Prize; Sprout; Stater Brothers; Stop &
Shop Companion; Tops Companion; Wegmans Bruiser; Weis Total Pet; Western
Family US; White Rose; Winn Dixie; and Your Pet.
More details on the products involved in the recall is available online
at www.menufoods.com/recall or by calling 866-895-2708.