Pet Food

Companies that were sued over contaminated pet food linked to the deaths of perhaps thousands of dogs and cats have agreed to pay $24 million to pet owners in the United States and Canada. The settlement is detailed in papers filed late Thursday in U.S. District Court in Camden, N.J. It still needs a judge's approval; a court hearing is set for May 30. "The settlement attempts to reimburse pet owners for all of their economic damages," said Russell Paul, a lawyer for the plaintiffs.

A major manufacturer of dog and cat food recalled 60 million containers of wet food after reports of kidney failure and deaths. The pet food was sold by stores operated by the Kroger Co., Safeway Inc., Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and PetSmart Inc., among others. An unknown number of cats and dogs suffered kidney failure, and about 10 died after eating the affected pet food, Menu Foods said in announcing the North American recall.

Federal agents searched facilities of a dog and cat food manufacturer and one of its suppliers as part of an investigation into the widening recall of pet products, the companies disclosed Friday. Food and Drug Administration officials searched an Emporia, Kan., pet food plant operated by Menu Foods and the Las Vegas offices of ChemNutra Inc., according to the companies.

A federal judge Tuesday approved a $24-million settlement for owners of dogs and cats who were sickened or died after eating pet food contaminated with an industrial chemical. The ruling by U.S. District Judge Noel Hillman clears the way for affected U.S. pet owners to start getting checks next year. Under the deal, owners have until Nov. 24 to file claims.

Food: an article that provides taste, aroma, or nutritive value. --Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (which grants the Center for Veterinary Medicine, a division of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, primary federal regulatory authority over pet food) * Ever wonder what's in dog food? Are Purina's Tender Vittles really tender? Does a Gaines-burger taste like a hamburger? Is Science Diet recommended by scientists?

egional pet-supplies distributor with 175 full- and part-time employees has filed for protection from creditors while it reorganizes its finances. Aquarium Supplies Unlimited, an Anaheim wholesale distributor of pet foods and supplies, listed $15.5 million in assets and $14.1 million in liabilities in its Chapter 11 filing last week in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Santa Ana.

The recall of wet and dry pet foods contaminated with a chemical found in plastics and pesticides expanded Saturday to include a new brand. But investigators still weren't sure why the substance would kill dogs and cats. Nestle Purina PetCare Co. said it was recalling all sizes and varieties of its Alpo Prime Cuts in Gravy wet dog food with specific date codes. Purina said some contained a contaminated wheat gluten from China.

Gaines Pet Food Corp. has agreed to pay $44,000, and stop running a misleading consumer offer, to settle a lawsuit brought by the Los Angeles County district attorney's office, officials said Wednesday. A consumer had complained to the district attorney's office that she had received a promotional offer in a bag of Gaines dog food that said she could get a $5 rebate on a veterinary bill by filling out a questionnaire about the care of her pet dog.

More than 23,000 pet owners in the United States have asked for money from a $24-million settlement for owners of dogs and cats that were sickened or died after eating pet food contaminated with an industrial chemical. U.S. pet owners with claims were set to start receiving checks in 2009 but their payments could be held up longer while a judge sorts out last-minute appeals to the settlement filed by four people. "If one of their objections succeeds, the class comes unraveled," said Kenneth A.