March 22, 2007
Pet Owners Turn To Vets ... And Lawyers
Fearful Owners Search Cats And Dogs For Symptoms While Others Turn To Courts
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Play CBS Video Video Cat Owner Sues Pet Food Maker A Chicago woman filed a lawsuit against Menu Foods, claiming its pet food killed her cat. Investigators are still trying to find the toxin responsible for killing 16 animals. Bill Whitaker reports.
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Video Deadly Pet Food Source Unknown With a deadly toxin affecting as many as 91 different brands of pet food, pet owners are concerned about what to do. Dr. Debbye Turner reports that authorities are still looking for answers.
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Daniel Rogan, 12, holds a photo of his first kitten, 9-month-old Snowball, as he sits in his home with his father, Rock Rogan, left, and mother Janet Rogan, right, March 20, 2007, in Mansfield, Mass. The kitten suffered kidney failure and was euthanized two weeks ago after eating tainted pet food, according to the family. (AP/Boston Herald, David Goldman)
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In The Spotlight Pet Planet Learn more about caring for your pet and see some wacky video.
"It's like we're on pins and needles," said Brian Paone, a 27-year-old loan auditor in Knoxville, Tenn., who scheduled a blood test with his vet after realizing both of his cats had eaten brands on the recall list.
"You kind of sit there and wonder — it's terrible to say this — you wonder if this is going to be your last moments with your pet. It's not pleasant."
Some of the 60 million cans and pouches of food have been blamed for kidney failure in scores of animals and killed at least 16 pets. Neither the manufacturer, Menu Foods of Canada, nor authorities have been able to determine why the pets died.
The recall has led to at least three lawsuits against Menu Foods from pet owners who allege their animals got sick or died after eating recalled food.
Mourning turned to outrage after owners learned that Menu Foods waited nearly a month before notifying the public, reports CBS News The Early Show veterinarian Dr. Debbye Turner. This means that unsuspecting owners were poisoning their pets.Click here more information on the recall from the FDA.
"To find out they knew about this weeks ago, and that the cats they tested died!" former cat owner Dawn Marjerczyk told CBS. Marjerczyk's cat died after eating some of the tainted cat food. "Why wasn't it pulled off then? Why do so many people have to suffer right now?"
"It's a loss that goes beyond belief," agreed Frederick Bobb, of Merrick, N.Y., whose 2-year-old bull mastiff, Princess, died of kidney failure on March 10. Bobb said his dog had eaten Nutro, one of the recalled dog food brands, all her life.
Bobb's attorney, Kenneth Mollins, said he had filed a lawsuit against Nutro and Menu Foods in state Supreme Court in Nassau County seeking unspecified compensatory and punitive damages.
Atlanta veterinarian Will Draper received so many calls and e-mails about the recall that he drafted a newsletter on it and e-mailed his customers.
"That helped tremendously," Draper said. "It has calmed clients."
Since Friday, nearly 100 brands of the "cuts and gravy" style food have been recalled by Menu Foods, including popular labels sold at Wal-Mart, Kroger and other large retailers.
Veterinarians are directing most questions to the Food and Drug Administration's recall Web site. Some have agreed to run blood tests on pets, even though many of the animals have not consumed any of the recalled brands.
Pet owners with animals showing symptoms such as vomiting, lethargy and extreme thirst are being told to bring them in for immediate examination.
"The recall is huge. It's unprecedented, and people are seeing their dog food is on the list and picking up the phone, wondering if there's anything they can do or what to do," said Tim Hackett, who runs a small-animal clinic at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. "Fortunately, most of these animals are absolutely fine."
Julie Benesh of Chicago brought her cat, Truffle, to a vet's office Wednesday after realizing the animal had eaten some of the contaminated food. The cat was lethargic and had been drinking an unusual amount of water.
"That's my baby," Benesh said of the black-and-white cat she's had since the animal was a kitten. "We've been through a lot together."
The Animal Medical Center on the East Side of Manhattan has tested 143 animals for renal failure since Saturday. Of those, 10 were confirmed to be diet-related cases, and one cat died.
"I have people coming in who haven't even said their pet's eaten the bad food, but they're worried that maybe the recall has not been broad enough so they want their pet tested to be sure," said Ann Hohenhaus, a veterinarian at the clinic.
Los Angeles County officials have confirmed at least nine cases of kidney failure in dogs and cats exposed to the recalled food, said Jonathan Fielding, county director of public health.
Menu Foods CEO and President Paul Henderson said Wednesday that the company is still investigating the cause of the kidney failure because the food linked to the deaths has shown no signs of contamination. He apologized for the worry that the recall has caused.
Denise Tracy of Milford, Mass., said her first thought after hearing about the recall was, "Oh my gosh, I killed my cat." Fluffy's health deteriorated after Tracy fed her Special Kitty brand food, one of the recalled labels, and she had to euthanize the 11-year-old cat last week.
She said the family, including her five children, are heartbroken. Her husband has contacted a lawyer, and she plans to contact her state's attorney general.
"They're killing animals because of somebody's mistake," Tracy said. "They should be held accountable for that."
The FDA has sent inspectors to Menu Food plants in New Jersey and Kansas. Most complaints stem from products made at the latter factory, though both received shipments of wheat gluten, identified as a possible source of contamination, from the same supplier, said Stephen F. Sundlof, the FDA's chief veterinarian.
The ingredient is a protein source used to thicken the pet food gravy. The FDA is screening pet food samples for substances known to harm the kidneys, like toxins produced by molds.
Dr. Robert Davis, a veterinarian in Ashland, Mass., said most customers have remained calm — in part because of detailed information available online.
"There's been no panic that I've seen," Davis said. "I think a lot of people, rather than becoming more nervous and concerned, they go to the Internet."
© MMVII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Michelle Obama tells how her role as the First Lady has changed her perspective.
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Just this side of heaven is a place called Rainbow Bridge.
When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable.
All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor. Those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. The animals are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind.
They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. His bright eyes are intent. His eager body quivers. Suddenly he begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster.
You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face; your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your pet, so long gone from your life but never absent from your heart.
Then you cross Rainbow Bridge together....
"If fortune drives the master forth an outcast in the world, friendless and homeless, the faithful dog asks no higher privilege than that of accompanying him to guard against danger, to fight against his enemies. And when the last scene of all comes, and death takes the master in its embrace, and his body is laid away in the cold ground, no matter if all other friends pursue their way, there by his graveside will the noble dog be found, his head between his paws, his eyes sad but open in alert watchfulness, faithful and true even to death."
Senator George Gramham Vest, 1870
"Gentlemen of the jury, a man's dog stands by him in prosperity and poverty, in health and sickness. He will sleep on the cold ground, where the wintry winds blow, and the snow drives fiercely, if only he can be near his master's side. He will kiss the hand that has no food to offer; he will lick the wounds and sores that come in encounter with the roughness of the world. He guards the sleep of his pauper master as if he were a prince. When all other friends desert, he remains. When riches take wings and reputation falls to pieces, he is as constant in his love as the sun in its journey through the heavens.
Judy Boone
Ft.Worth,TX
Small claims court is a joke, you have to sue the plaintif in THEIR county, which means YOU have to do the leg work and if you arein Calif and they are in Fla that means an expensive trip for YOU to get to court in their county
In this case the company is in CANADA which could make it much more difficult.
Another issue is you cannot sue for emotional pain and suffering damages- pets are considered property like lawn mowers in court, so at best all you can ever hope to recover is the cost of a puppy/kitten of the same type/breed- so if your animal was a "free to a good home" or a $35 shelter animal, the animal's value in a court of law is that amount
There is a woman whose puppy was killed by a PetMate wire kennel the mfr knew is substandard, the puppy broke the flimsy wire door partly out and strangled when her head was caught. The company LIED to her and said they never had this happen before, others came forward and said they were told the SAME thing
After a LOT of effort and time, and a web site, the lady wound up getting about $900 the cost for the puppy. I know because I worked with the lady on line and contacted the company myself privately and SAW how they were lying.
http://kennelsafety.com/
These companies do not care, even this one who KNOWS their kennels are defective and kills dogs insists the design is good, it's cheaper to placate a few who demand money than retool
Michigan
I've got a sick cat - kidney failure at 3 years old, sudden - who ate none of the affected foods. We still don't know why.
Just my opinion. I Hope I'm wrong.
I believe everyone can make mistakes but it is inexcusable that they knew about it for a month and didn't say anything. I am not usually for sueing people, but in this case they need to pay bigtime! I say SUE THE B-A-S-T-A-R-D-S!!! Then hopefully these pet food companies will start testing their food properly. When Royal Canin had their screw up, they had tested the food BEFORE the vitamins were added. The food needs to be tested AFTER everything is added. In fact if they have to do more than one test then they need to be doing it.
http://search.myway.com/search/GGmain.jhtml?st=site&ptnrS=&searchfor=Halliburton+Foods of Canada
Have a better one....
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