This past month, a lawsuit was filed against Nestle Purina Petcare. According to WLTW News 5, over 3,000 individuals claimed that after their dogs ingested Purina Beneful their dogs have become extremely ill and some have died .
Substances in the dog food have been found capable of killing our animals and causing the nations veterinary bills to increase due to testing and treatment after eating the dog food. The official lawsuit was filed on Feb. 5 in Contra Costa County, Calif. by a man named Frank Lucido.
The following are the dog foods identified as the ones sickening and killing dogs: Purina Beneful Healthy Weight, Purina Beneful Original, Purina Beneful Incredibites, Purina Beneful Healthy Growth for Puppies, Purina Beneful Healthy Smile, Purina Beneful Healthy Fiesta, Purina Beneful Healthy Radiance, and Purina Beneful Playful Life.
In this dog food there is propylene glycol which is prohibited by the Food and Drug Administration to be included in dog goods. This substance is an antifreeze component that is known to be poisonous to cats and dogs.
Also within the food, there are mycotoxins which are toxins produced by toxins in grains. These toxins have been proven to have been in dangerous levels in Purina Beneful Original dog food, which can cause significant health risks to dogs who consume the dog food.
Among the 3,000 complaints the dogs have been reported to have, “consistent symptoms, including stomach and related internal bleeding, liver malfunction or failure, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, weight loss, seizures, bloating, and kidney failure.”
The lawsuit is inviting any owners who have fed their animals Beneful brands from the year 2011 to now to join the lawsuit. They are asking the jury to hear out their case and then hopefully reward $5 million in damages.
Lee Whalen of Covington, has admitted to feed her dog Beneful from 2008 to 2012. In the year 2013, her dachshund, Toby, began having health problems with dehydration and eventually his kidneys failed and he passed away in May of 2014.
Whalen does not have physical proof that she bought Beneful during the years she claimed, but said she felt the need to share her story with other owners. When speaking to WLWT News 5, she said, “There’s no 100 percent proof that this is what happened this just makes me wonder, makes me think, ‘What if I hadn’t of bought Beneful?’”
A spokesperson from St. Louis-based Purina issued a statement to WLWT News 5, which stated, “First and foremost, there are no quality issues with Beneful. Beneful is a high quality, nutritious food enjoyed by millions of dogs every day. Recently, a class action lawsuit was filed against Beneful in Northern California. We believe the lawsuit is baseless, and we intend to vigorously defend ourselves and our brand. Beneful had two previous class action suits filed in recent years with similar baseless allegations, and both were dismissed by the courts. Beneful is backed by Purina’s strict quality controls and comprehensive food safety program. Like other pet foods, Beneful is occasionally the subject of social media-driven misinformation. Online postings often contain false, unsupported and misleading allegations that cause undue concern and confusion for our Beneful costumers .”
