Pet food settlement reached (official count: 1,950 cats and 2,200 dogs died)

[Robbien]

Source: Bloomberg

Menu Foods Ltd., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and five other companies sued by consumers last year for selling melamine-tainted pet food have asked a U.S. judge to approve a $24 million settlement.

The companies will create a fund allowing consumers to recover up to 100 percent of their money damages, if they can document their claims, lawyers for both sides said in papers filed Friday with U.S. District Judge Noel Hillman in Camden, New Jersey.

Consumers' attorney Kenneth Wexler of Chicago said the plaintiffs were pleased with the settlement "but there's no result that can replace the loss of a pet."

Consumer reports received by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration suggested that about 1,950 cats and 2,200 dogs died after eating contaminated pet food, the Justice Department said in a Feb. 6 statement. More than 100 lawsuits were filed in the U.S. and Canada last year after Menu's initial product recall in March 2007, according to court papers. More than 180 brands of pet food and treats made by 12 different companies were ultimately recalled.

Read more: http://www.tulsaworld.com/business/article.aspx?articleID=20080525_15_E3_spancl220690

[Deja Q]

1. Why $24 million? I mean, if this was just an accident and not deliberate,

make their pets eat the same food for a while.

:shrug:

[Robbien]

2. I see that Wal-Mart is a party of the settlement

So all those stories must be true of Wal-Mart not removing the pet food from the shelves after the recall went public.

Arrogant SOBs. Not above the law this time.

[madmom]

9. I guess you didn't see there were 5 other companies included in the deal, along with

12 companies making the stuff. But hey it's always all Wal-mart's fault.

[Runcible Spoon]

14. why the FUCK are you defending Wal-Mart?!

they are the biggest retailer by MILES and if they resist ethical business practices they not only set a bad example for smaller retailers but they also harm many many more consumers (and their pets). Wal-mart has almost single handedly created this insane hunger for Chinese produced crap and their near monopoly over retail sales has made it so smaller competitors have to follow the same shoddy practices to stay in businesses and buy from the same unregulated Chinese manufacturers.

So yeah FUCK the smaller companies for supporting this shit but ESPECIALLY FUCK WAL-MART, they deserve to pay and they deserve to be the face of this travesty.

[MadMaddie]

4. This has to be settled because China is trying to influence the

market, by settling this now...I am guessing China feels that the scrutiny over their products that they are shipping to the US will not be so intense.

This is the "Canary in the Coal Mine", while American companies CEO's continue to make billions, American workers are getting let go....China has no oversite when it comes to Product safety..this by the way is one of the reasons why American companies are outsourcing...The next population to be maimed or killed by faulty products will be Americans....it's coming it's only a matter of time.

[htuttle]

3. "recover up to 100 percent of their money damages, if they can document their claims"

That's crap. They're saying I can get a refund for the cost of the product, if I kept a grocery store receipt for over a year? Right.

Our cat unexpectedly died during that. The final trip to the emergency vet hospital cost us several hundred dollars, but we couldn't afford to pay for an autopsy, so we can't prove what killed her. No refund on that, either, I'm sure.

How many people are really going to be able to collect anything from this?

And there don't seem to be any punitive damage fines at all in this settlement! I would be happier if they had much larger fine and could care less about the tiny consumer settlement fund.

[Breathe]

5. My cats didn't die but they got so sick!

I accrued over $3,000 in vet bills. My older cat was in the NC State Vet School Hospital for 10 days having seizures. It was very traumatic for all of us. I really thought I was going to lose Cassidy. It was terrible. I'm just glad that he and Icky are still alive and haven't had any further problems. It was awful to see them suffering so.

It remains to be seen whether those of us whose pets did not die will recover anything.

And the poisoning WAS deliberate. The company in China was adding a plasticizer to gluten to raise its protein level after the gluten did not test high enough to be purchased by high-end companies like IAMS, which is what I was feeding my cats. The person deemed responsible by the Chinese government was tried and then executed for adding this plasticizer to the gluten. I read about it here on this site. Still, more than one person was responsible for this. I'm sure there were inspectors and many other people involved.

Wheat gluten is used in many human food products as well. It's frightening to think how at risk we humans also are from this rampant corruption and greed.

[Stardust]

11. My cat became very sick (kidney problems) during that time, too.

She became sick recently, as well, from what I assume are residual effects. It's cost me over $4,000 so far...
I never did see her food listed (Friskie's) but it seemed too coincidental to me.

[OhioChick]

6. I would tend to think that it's safe to assume

that the number of pets that died is much, much higher.

[michreject]

10. I would agree

much, much higher. A lot of broken hearts.

[JackDragna]

7. We get what we pay for.

If we pay other people peanuts to make our stuff, then our stuff will be shoddy and downright dangerous. Sigh. I feel terrible for anyone who lost their pets.

[OhioChick]

8. Not to mention human lives lost

due to Heparin.

[greengestalt]

12. How 'bout US$1 million per PET?

Paid to the owners of said animals as long as a vet signs off that it was likely the cause of their deaths...?

We need draconian safety laws. All their money, they have no excuse for the food not to be safe.

[MJJP21]

13. unfortunately

Unfortunately you cannot sue for wrongful death beyond the value of the animal in question. I am surprised the amount was as high as it is.