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May 15, 2007
 The pet food recall has become a crisis. Contaminated pet food has killed more than 2,000 and possibly as many as 7,000 dogs and cats this year, and injured more than 40,000. Countless families are scrambling to find safe alternatives while checking a recall list that has expanded to more than 350 pet food products. As a public service, Animal Wow helps families update the latest pet food recall information.
Fortunately, there is political agreement to act quickly. The United States Senate unanimously passed an amendment calling for stricter food safety requirements, and there seems to be no strong opposition to quick action. Most pet food companies are cooperating fully with the recall and are developing alternate food sources. Colorado-based IMI Global (INMG), has launched a pet food safety certification program called “Pet Supply Verified.”
Let’s review what happened. At first, “the list” identified a small number of cans recalled. Then the list grew to 131 dry and wet foods for dogs and cats. Then another 220 products were added to the recall because they had tainted gravy or cuts. For reasons not yet confirmed, melamine, an industrial chemical not allowed in food, was mixed with wheat gluten and rice protein concentrate imported from China. Melamine has now been found in the food of some fish, chickens, and pigs farmed for people’s dinner tables.
Many families were shocked to find out that although they had carefully chosen food and treats for their pets, they were, in fact, often simply choosing a different brand with the same contents, since one pet food manufacturer, Menu Foods, supplied many brands. On March 16, Menu Foods initiated a recall of 60 million packages of pet food, and has expanded.
The fallout for families’ beloved pets was tragic, with many killed before symptoms showed. Many working animals also died, including assistance dogs of disabled people who have lost a lot of freedom as well as their trusted companions. As a preventive measure, many pet shelters, including the Des Moines, Iowa, Animal Rescue League, have had to throw out food, causing shortages which could jeopardize the lives of many animals whose lives are already at risk.
Many families scrambled to find recipes for homemade pet food, but quickly found that pet food preparation was difficult to figure out, with mind boggling choices of diets, and some advocates so passionate that their opinions of various methods and recipes border on militant. If you do wish to cook your own human grade pet food, take a look at the best-selling book, Real Food for Dogs, by Arden Moore. Once most people add in the cost and time factor, they opt for commercial pet food again, after all.
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