Purina defending Beneful dog food against claims

Purina is defending its Beneful brand pet food in the wake of a class action lawsuit that accuses the product of hurting and killing animals.
 
The suit claims that pet owner Frank Lucido’s three dogs became sick after he fed them the food. It alleges that Dozer, his English bulldog, died after showing signs of liver lesions and internal bleeding in his stomach.
 
One of the lawyers filing the suit, James Young of Morgan & Morgan in Tampa, is encouraging pet owners to come forward with their stories.
 
“The more people that come forward and share their stories, the clearer the picture we can paint with regard to the liability of the company,” Young said. “We received hundreds of complaints. Nationally, there have been thousands of complaints about dogs who have eaten this dog food by Purina Beneful and suffered very serious side effects, including death.”
 
You can read more about the class-action lawsuit and contact the firm by visiting its website .
 
Lakeland resident Jennifer Jones just joined the lawsuit.
 
She told ABC Action News that over the past year, she noticed her miniature pinscher’s health was deteriorating.
 
He started having seizures approximately two times a day. 
 
“I’ve had that dog for almost 10 years now. I mean, that’s a family member,” Jones said. “It’s scary.”
 
Jones had been feeding her pet Purina Beneful Original. But she claims last week she switched dog food, and her dog’s health has dramatically improved. He’s now reportedly down to two seizures a week instead of a day.
 
“They said it’s the healthiest food to give your dog. Obviously that was incorrect,” she said.
 
The lawsuit claims the following eight dry “kibble” dog foods are contaminated with substances that can be toxic to animals: Propylene glycol and mycotoxins.
 

• 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
• Purina Beneful Playful Life

The lawsuit’s claims are “baseless,” said Keith Schopp, a corporate spokesman for the Nestlé Purina Petcare Company. Courts, he said, have dismissed two previous class action lawsuits against Beneful that made similar allegations.
 
“Like other pet foods, Beneful is occasionally the subject of social media-driven misinformation,” Schopp said in a statement to ABC Action News. “On-line postings often contain false, unsupported and misleading allegations that cause undue concern and confusion for our Beneful customers.”
 
How can you take steps to keep your pet safe? Make sure the main ingredient in its food is animal protein with no wheat or gluten or chemical preservatives. Look for the "AAFCO" symbol from the Association of American Feed Control Officials.
 
Full statement from Purina:
 
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.  Class action suits are common in business these days.  They are not indicative of a product issue.
 
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.  On-line postings often contain false, unsupported and misleading allegations that cause undue concern and confusion for our Beneful customers.
 
Bottom line:  Consumers can continue to feed Beneful with total confidence.
 
At Purina we’re passionate about pets.  We encourage anyone with a comment or question about Purina to contact us directly at the toll-free number on every package.  For answers to FAQs about Beneful, go tohttps://www.beneful.com/frequently-asked-questions

Source: ABCactionnews

---

A Peaceful Farewell provides compassionate at home pet euthanasia to fellow pet owners in Chandler, Gilbert, Mesa, Tempe, Ahwatukee, Scottsdale, and most of the Greater Phoenix Metropolitan Area.