On this message board, over and over I see Special Kitty, Ol' Roy, store brand, etc. immediately followed by 'they are my precious babies and I am heartbroken because I would do anything for them'. Here is an idea - stop feeding crap food! There is a reason you can buy a 12 ounce can of food for 33 cents - you get what you pay for! I understand that some premium brands (Iams, Nutro) were affected too, but the vast majority are brands that are very low in quality. Sure, a 33 cent can of food saves immediately, but the lasting cost is in thousands of dollars of vet bills and heartache no one can put a price on. If you can't afford everything that comes with pet ownership, please do not own a pet.

Anonymous:

On this message board, over and over I see Special Kitty, Ol' Roy, store brand, etc. immediately followed by 'they are my precious babies and I am heartbroken because I would do anything for them'. Here is an idea - stop feeding crap food! There is a reason you can buy a 12 ounce can of food for 33 cents - you get what you pay for! I understand that some premium brands (Iams, Nutro) were affected too, but the vast majority are brands that are very low in quality. Sure, a 33 cent can of food saves immediately, but the lasting cost is in thousands of dollars of vet bills and heartache no one can put a price on. If you can't afford everything that comes with pet ownership, please do not own a pet.

Are you implying that people who buy cheaper dog food don't love their pets and shouldn't have them? Thats a bit much don't you think? So only rich people should be allowed to have pets?  I think ignorant stupid people should be eliminated- so when you disapppear, I'll give up my dogs. Up until now feeding them anything hasn't been an issue. In fact I'm one of the lucky ones becasue I am SO CHEAP that I only feed dry food- lucky them.

Original poster here. I am not implying that at all, but simply pointing out that it was the lower quality foods that were involved in this recall. Poor quality in = poor quality out. Higher quality food is better for animals on so many levels including less fillers (like corn and wheat, which are of little value nutritionally to animals, as they are true carnivores), better protein sources (real chicken or beef, not by-products), and typically less chemical preservatives which may be harmful to the health of a pet. Feeding a high quality diet provides your pet with less gastrointestinal distress, better digestion resulting in smaller fecal matter and better smelling fecal matter, and typically results in better coat and skin condition. This recall will hopefully open people's eyes to the different options available for their pets, and at the very least got people talking.

Some of the foods recalled was higher end.....I feed mine chicken and rice- real stuff and cheap dog food in between.  My response was to your high horse implying if you feed cheaper food you shouldn't own a pet. Not all people can afford the top end stuff, hell I shop Aldi's and store brands occasionally and my family eats it, should I maybe not have a family because I can't afford, or choose not to buy high end food?  personally I think all *** stinks.... I;m sure not about to follow any of them around human or animal to compare when they eat different types.  My vet has no problem with what I feed and between 120 dollars worth of meds for the old dog I can't afford Science Diet (which by the way was added to the recall), do I think i'm doing them an injustice? Nope they are all loved and fed and happy, the ones with  two and four legs. 

the cowards i imagine have the phones off the hook.i had the same problem when i tried to call them,then i thought i'd try my cell phone-at least it rang through but i got a "all operators are busy,call back again.i wish i could help but like i said they're probably hiding under their desks.

i,m sorry about your baby-bless his heart.

it takes so long because our goverment stinks.what about the peanut butter thing?it took 3 months for the public to know about it.in the meantime people were getting sick from it.

it's really sad that the one thing people should be able to rely on is too busy helping other countries instead of helping there own.shame on them.

Anonymous:

the cowards i imagine have the phones off the hook.i had the same problem when i tried to call them,then i thought i'd try my cell phone-at least it rang through but i got a "all operators are busy,call back again.i wish i could help but like i said they're probably hiding under their desks.

i,m sorry about your baby-bless his heart.

Last time I heard, the company has said they will pay for vet costs due to the recall and will reimburse for the loss of a pet.How much that will be for a loss of a pet I do not know. Untill laws change, legally they do not have to reimburse for loss of a pet -see what Pamelan wrote elsewhere).

I do not think they are 'hiding under their desk' but with the massive recall and massive pets affected you can gaurantee their lines will be busy.

Lets just wait and see what responsiblity they take and if they live up to them  paying for vet costs etc. In turn they will get their money back by sueing the company who gave them the stuff contaminated.

 

 

 

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"Nothing matters so much as blood. Everyone else are just strangers."

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070401/ap_on_bi_ge/pet_food_recall_legal;_ylt=AliCTV9GfD6ETG8DSsQTx7pH2ocA

Pet owners likely to get little in suits

ALBANY, N.Y. - Pet owners are not likely to get much compensation if they individually sue pet food-maker Menu Foods over the death of a dog or cat, although they might fare better if they joined forces in a class action suit, legal experts say.

Most state laws consider animals — even beloved pets — to be only personal property. That means that even for the loss of a faithful family companion, a successful civil lawsuit would not likely produce much reward, said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond.

"With animals, all you get is the value of the property," he said. "There are no emotional damages."

click link for rest of story

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"Nothing matters so much as blood. Everyone else are just strangers."

I feed my cats Special Kitty from Walmart. I have to get them more food. It's really awful dealing with this crisis. It's stressing me out. It's like I don't know what food to get them yet! Menu foods has a website yous can go on. menufoods.com Perhaps yous can email them and tell them you need to get in touch with them. It's frustrating the number's been busy. I hope this crisis is over soon! I am sorry for the person who lost thier cat over this a ways down on here.

Anonymous:

I have been feeding my cat the Special Kitty food from Walmart for over a year now and she died two weeks ago.  I am so upset that I have been feeding my cat poisonous food and didn't even know it.  I also tried contacting Menu Foods and Iams and have not been able to get through.  It is very frustrating.

I'm genuinely sorry about all your pets.  I know how it feels to lose one, ansd to lose one due to a company's negligence is inexcusable.

I shopped in the New Hartford Walmart, and purposely looked and found their shelves FULL of the Special Kitty products!!!  I took some pictures of it with my cell phone.  Consumers go to the store and assume since the products are still on the shelves are safe.  They are NOT!!

I buy "Pet Promise" cat food, and have stopped using all other brands.  I've been feeding my 11 year old cat this brand for several months now, and he is thriving.    

 Pet Promise contains NONE of the following:

Wheat gluten
Animal by-products
Added growth hormones
Antibiotic-fed protein sources
Rendered or recycled meats, poultry, or fats
Brain or spinal tissue
Factory farm meat or poultry
Artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives

It's a bit more expensive than the others, but well worth it when considering the alternative.  It is made for dogs, and for cats, in both dry food and cans.

Ironically, it's sold at some Walmarts, Wegmans stores, and online at www.petpromiseinc.com (where you can also find out where else it's sold). 

So sorry your cat died. This situation makes me more PO'd every day. We need to step up and be a voice for these poor,suffering animals. I heard today that the wheat gluten in question, may be in human food as well!!! Will this nightmare ever end??? I wonder how many animals and humans have to die to get these things changed??? There are some sad people out there, that dont care about what happens to animals. Some times I really wonder, if importing products from other countries is a good idea.Seems like other countries hate America.I suppose they know we love our animals,they know it would hurt us bad,if they poisoned our animals.JMO

4-3-07 From news on web site 9 news

" The imported product was only minimally labeled but apparently went only to pet food producers. The FDA considers the contamination an aberration since wheat gluten generally is not considered a product at risk for contamination. "

This is interesting. There was a report on this particular shipment of wheat gluten that was labeled       " NOT FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION ", so someone thought that meant that it was O.K. for this product to be sent to the pet food people. That " SOMEONE ", I would have to suspect, was

" SOMEONE " from the good old U.S.A. I would love to be enlightened. How many pets do you think are in China? Do you think that many dogs and cats alike are on the menu for people over there? They just do not have the same outlook on life as we do. Does this mean that we should invade? What if these Asian Countries decide that shipping nuclear waste in " gluten " type food stuffs is a grand way of getting rid of that crap and hurting the American pubic at the same time? What are the reports out of Canada on this subject? Are the pets up there hurting and dieing as well?

As mentioned before, we now make our own cat food for our special needs animals. It is done with out a lot of time invested. We have to protect our selves at all times these days.The cost of pet food has been cut in half. Sounds like many benifits to this course of action. Quality in and quality out at half the cost. This contamination could have come from poor cleaning of cargo holds from Aisan ports. This is not something new. Right here in the good ol U.S.this has happened in road transport tankers and such. Gluten, as a product, is not recomended for the digestive tract of your pets - period. Ask your Vet. We had two of our special needs animals blood tested for renal failure as recomended the other day and came back O.K. We had been feeding the higher end pet food products listed on the recall list.

Reacting in a positive way. 

 

 

 

 

 

Anonymous:

So sorry your cat died. This situation makes me more PO'd every day. We need to step up and be a voice for these poor,suffering animals. I heard today that the wheat gluten in question, may be in human food as well!!! Will this nightmare ever end??? I wonder how many animals and humans have to die to get these things changed??? There are some sad people out there, that dont care about what happens to animals. Some times I really wonder, if importing products from other countries is a good idea.Seems like other countries hate America.I suppose they know we love our animals,they know it would hurt us bad,if they poisoned our animals.JMO

This was posted on 3-22-07

 

Class action lawsuits in many cases, provide a nice paycheck for the lawyers involved and very little to the ones who suffered. I may have to re-educate myself on this subject but I do not think it is the silver bullet most people think it is. On top of every thing else, the person who is looking for " LOTS OF MONEY " may find themselves tied up in litigation procedings for a very long time. These type of things can go on for years. Again, ther is the going rate for the replacement for your pet. You will most likely have to provide some sort of payment slip showing what you did pay for said pet. What do you do if you adopted or donated $65 from a place like Pet-Smart for a dog or cat? Things can get complicated very fast. One other thing, does your pet come and go as he or she feels only to show up at meal time? This will be one of the first questions that will be pointed at you. It could very well feel like YOU as the pet owner is the one who needs to defend yourself. OK, go get yourself a lawyer too, do see where this could go?

 

Freebird:

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070401/ap_on_bi_ge/pet_food_recall_legal;_ylt=AliCTV9GfD6ETG8DSsQTx7pH2ocA

Pet owners likely to get little in suits

By MARK JOHNSON, Associated Press Writer Sun Apr 1, 2:42 PM ET

ALBANY, N.Y. - Pet owners are not likely to get much compensation if they individually sue pet food-maker Menu Foods over the death of a dog or cat, although they might fare better if they joined forces in a class action suit, legal experts say.

Most state laws consider animals — even beloved pets — to be only personal property. That means that even for the loss of a faithful family companion, a successful civil lawsuit would not likely produce much reward, said Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond.

"With animals, all you get is the value of the property," he said. "There are no emotional damages."

click link for rest of story

Anonymous:

pco_01:

Can you say class action lawsuit?  There will be lots of money paid out for this.  I hope that the word has got out to everyone so no more pets will suffer.

Class action lawsuits in many cases, provide a nice paycheck for the lawyers involved and very little to the ones who suffered. I may have to re-educate myself on this subject but I do not think it is the silver bullet most people think it is. On top of every thing else, the person who is looking for " LOTS OF MONEY " may find themselves tied up in litigation procedings for a very long time. These type of things can go on for years. Again, ther is the going rate for the replacement for your pet. You will most likely have to provide some sort of payment slip showing what you did pay for said pet. What do you do if you adopted or donated $65 from a place like Pet-Smart for a dog or cat? Things can get complicated very fast. One other thing, does your pet come and go as he or she feels only to show up at meal time? This will be one of the first questions that will be pointed at you. It could very well feel like YOU as the pet owner is the one who needs to defend yourself. OK, go get yourself a lawyer too, do see where this could go?

 

Jeez, you sound like a lawyer. Maybe your reason for discouraging these law suits, is because you work for one of these worthless companies???? People have a right,  to fair compensation for what they've been put through!!! Do you even have a pet??? Dont think so,if you did you would have been a little more sympathetic to peoples suffering. Maybe you should go play somewhere else.