Are there any lawsuits against Victor dog food

Seven Class Action Lawsuits against Hills Pet Nutrition

Filed on February 26, 2019 in the Central District of California, pet owners versus Hills Pet Nutrition; a class action lawsuit. The lawsuit states they bring this suit against Hills for (bold added):

their negligent, reckless, and/or intentional practice of misrepresenting,failing to test for, and failing to fully disclose the presence oftoxic levels of Vitamin Din their Contaminated Dog Foods (defined below) and for selling Contaminated Dog Foods that are adulterated and do not conform to the labels, packaging, advertising, and statements throughout the United States.

This particular lawsuit asks that Hills Pet Nutritionbe required totest all ingredients and final products for such substances (such as excess Vitamin D) and asks for pet owner financial relief in the same amountHills offered veterinariansin a previous announcement; offer Plaintiff and the proposed class $500 vouchers for each can of Contaminated Food as they have offered veterinarians and (iv) restoring monies to the members of the proposed Class.

This lawsuit quotes several claims from the Hills website including these two (that the recall proved are not accurate claims):

(g) We conduct final safety checks daily on every Hills pet foodproduct to help ensure the safety of your pets food.(h) Additionally, all finished products are physically inspected andtested for key nutrients prior to release to help ensure your pet gets a consistent product bag to bag.

The lawsuit also includes a quote from the FDA alert on the many excess Vitamin D recalls; (bold added for emphasis) Vitamin D, when consumed at very high levels, can lead to serious health issues in dogsincluding renal dysfunction.

Represented (among others) in this lawsuit is the owner of Taki, a chihuahua mix who consumed the toxic Hills dog food starting in November of 2018. Taki died of renal failure in February 2019.

To read the full lawsuit,Click Here.

To contact this law firm,Click Here.

In another of the seven lawsuits filed against Hills Stella, a dachshund rescue from Florida consumed just six cans of Hills i/d dog food. On January 26, 2019 she was in total kidney failure and had to be euthanized.

Another lawsuit appears to say that Hills had a Vitamin D problem much earlier and in their dry dog foods (similar to the excess Vitamin D recalls of other brands previous to Hills recall); (bold added) As a result of online consumer complaints,Hills thus knew or should have known of the elevated vitamin D levels in the Specialty Dog Foods by at least February of 2018.

In the lawsuit quoted above, Duncan a seizure alert trained service dog died on January 12, 2019. Taco died on January 24, 2019. Lily died on November 27, 2019.

All of the above heart breaking pet deaths are just a tiny glimpse into the destruction this toxic pet food caused.

To read other lawsuits filed against Hills Pet Nutrition (regarding the excess Vitamin D):

Click Here.

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The price a pet food manufacturer pays for NOT properly testing ingredients: 7 class action lawsuits.

The price a pet owner pays for a reckless manufacturer that doesnt properly test ingredients: painful illness and death of their pet.

Nothing has changed since the 2007 pet food recall.In 2007, Hills issued 3 recalls for melamine contaminated pet food. No pet food manufacturer in 2007 bothered to test or validate the quality of vegetable protein ingredients (such as wheat gluten) in advance of using those ingredients in their pet foods. Those ingredients were later found to be contaminated with melamine responsible for killing thousands of dogs and cats. Fast forward 12 years,AGAIN Hills did not test ingredientsor validate ingredient quality.

How many pets have to die until each and every pet food manufacturer tests and validates the quality of ingredients?

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

Susan ThixtonPet Food Safety AdvocateAuthor Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsibleTruthaboutPetFood.comAssociation for Truth in Pet Food

Become a member of our pet food consumer Association.Association for Truth in Pet Food is a a stakeholder organization representing the voice of pet food consumers at AAFCO and with FDA. Your membership helps representatives attend meetings and voice consumer concerns with regulatory authorities.Click Hereto learn more.

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Victor Classic Dog Food Review (Dry)

The Victor Classic product line includes the 5 dry dog foods listed below.

Each recipe includes its AAFCO nutrient profile: Growth (puppy), Maintenance (adult), All Life Stages, Supplemental or Unspecified.

Ingredients Analysis

The first ingredient in this dog food is beef meal. Beef meal is considered a meat concentrate and contains nearly 300% more protein than fresh beef.

The second ingredient is sorghum. Sorghum (milo) is a starchy cereal grain with a nutrient profile similar to corn.

Since it is gluten-free and boasts a smoother blood sugar behavior than other grains, sorghum may be considered an acceptable non-meat ingredient.

The third ingredient is chicken fat. Chicken fat is obtained from rendering chicken, a process similar to making soup in which the fat itself is skimmed from the surface of the liquid.

Chicken fat is high in linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid essential for life. Although it doesnt sound very appetizing, chicken fat is actually a quality ingredient.

The fourth ingredient is pork meal, another protein-rich meat concentrate that can also be high in ash about 25-30%.

However, the ash content of the final product is typically adjusted in the recipe to allow its mineral profile to meet AAFCO guidelines.

The next two ingredients listed are chicken meal and menhaden fish meal, yet more high protein meat concentrates.

Fish meal is typically obtained from the clean, dried, ground tissue of undecomposed whole fish and fish cuttings of commercial fish operations.¹

The seventh ingredient is blood meal. Blood meal is a by-product of slaughter and used to make high-protein (very low ash) animal feeds.

Yet even though some consider it a controversial ingredient, blood meal can still be considered a quality source of animal protein.

The eighth ingredient is millet, a gluten-free grain harvested from certain seed grasses. Millet is hypoallergenic and naturally rich in B-vitamins and fiber as well as other essential minerals.

The ninth ingredient is alfalfa meal. Although alfalfa meal is high in plant protein (about 18%) and fiber (25%), this hay-family item is more commonly associated with horse feeds.

From here, the list goes on to include a number of other items.

But to be realistic, ingredients located this far down the list (other than nutritional supplements) are not likely to affect the overall rating of this Victor product.

With 7 notable exceptions

First, tomato pomace is a controversial ingredient, a by-product remaining after processing tomatoes into juice, soup and ketchup.

Many praise tomato pomace for its high fiber and nutrient content, while others scorn it as an inexpensive pet food filler.

Just the same, theres probably not enough tomato pomace here to make much of a difference.

Next, dried seaweed meal is a product made from a family of brown algae known as Fucaceae (Rockweed). Although it does contain a number of healthy nutrients, seaweed meal is primarily used as a source of inexpensive carbohydrates (about 60% dry matter).

This item is only rarely used to make pet food and is more typically found in feeds for cattle, horses, hogs, hens and sheep.

In addition, we note the use of taurine, an important amino acid associated with the healthy function of heart muscle. Although taurine is not typically considered essential in canines, some dogs have been shown to be deficient in this critical nutrient.

Since taurine deficiency appears to be more common in pets consuming grain-free diets, we view its presence in this recipe as a positive addition.

Next, this food contains chelated minerals, minerals that have been chemically attached to protein. This makes them easier to absorb. Chelated minerals are usually found in better dog foods.

Additionally, brewers yeast can be a controversial item. Although its a by-product of the beer making process, this ingredient is rich in minerals and other healthy nutrients.

Fans believe yeast repels fleas and supports the immune system.

Critics argue yeast ingredients can be linked to allergies. This may be true, but (like all allergies) only if your particular dog is allergic to the yeast itself.

In addition, a vocal minority insists yeast can increase the risk of developing the life-threatening condition known as bloat. However, this is a claim weve not been able to scientifically verify.

In any case, unless your dog is specifically allergic to it, yeast can still be considered a nutritious additive.

Whats more noteworthy here is that brewers yeast contains about 48% protein, a factor that must be considered when judging the actual meat content of this dog food.

We also find some vegetable oil, a generic oil of unknown origin. The ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats in any oil is nutritionally critical and can vary significantly (depending on the source).

Without knowing more, its impossible to judge the quality of an item so vaguely described. However, compared to a named animal fat, a generic vegetable oil cannot be considered a quality ingredient.

And lastly, this product includes selenium yeast. Unlike the more common inorganic form of selenium (sodium selenite), this natural yeast supplement is considered a safer anti-cancer alternative.

Nutrient Analysis

Based on its ingredients alone, Victor Classic Dog Food looks like an above-average dry product.

The dashboard displays a dry matter protein reading of 33%, a fat level of 22% and estimated carbohydrates of about 37%.

As a group, the brand features an average protein content of 28% and a mean fat level of 18%. Together, these figures suggest a carbohydrate content of 46% for the overall product line.

And a fat-to-protein ratio of about 64%.

Which means this Victor product line contains

Above-average protein. Above-average fat. And below-average carbs when compared to a typical dry dog food.

Even when you consider the protein-boosting effect of the alfalfa meal and brewers yeast, this looks like the profile of a kibble containing a notable amount of meat.

After Hills Recall, Hundreds of Dogs Dead and Families Left Heartbroken

For 4 years, Donna Nehrenz fed her dog, Macy, the same trusted brand of dog food without a problem: Hills Science Diets i/d and k/d foods.

And during that time, Macy played, thrived and loved. She was a 5-time rescue who Nehrenz guesses was a cross between a Silky Terrier and a Poodle.

But in December 2018, everything changed. Macy took a rapid turn for the worse.

Over a matter of days, the playful white dog who Nehrenz had loved for 10 years became lethargic, nauseous and increasingly disinterested in food.

When Nehrenz brought Macy in to the veterinarian, tests revealed that the dog was having kidney problems.

Nehrenz and the vet did everything they could to save Macy and bolster the dogs kidney function. But without knowing why this had happened, they couldnt figure out the right treatment. On Jan. 6, 2019, Macy took her last breath.

Nehrenz was devastated. Terribly heartbroken, she says.

A few weeks later, on Jan. 31, 2019, Hills Pet Nutrition announced a massive, worldwide recall of certain lots of Hills Science Diet and Prescription Diet canned dog foods.

According to news reports, a jaw-dropping 13.5 million cans of dog food were part of the recall. (The recall was recently expanded get the full list of recalled products here.) No dry foods, cat foods or treats are affected, according to the company.

The reason for the recall was a supplier error that added too much Vitamin D to some of the canned dog food.

Too much Vitamin D, when consumed at very high levels, can lead to serious health issues in dogs, including renal dysfunction, according to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration(FDA). The consequences can be deadly.

Nehrenz rushed to check the list of recalled dog foods. And sure enough, the very Science Diet foods shed fed Macy were on the list.

Macy had eaten i/d and k/d for the last 4 years-plus. I still have 11 cans, she says.

Science Diet Recall Victims

Losing a pet is heatbreaking enough but losing a pet unexpectedly and before their time because of a pet food manufacturing mistake is so much worse.

Unfortunately, Nehrenz was far from alone.

Hundreds of other people have heartbreaking stories. Their pets had been in top health, but then, within a matter of days, their pets well-being took a severe downturn, ending in kidney problems, kidney failure and, in some cases, death.

Nehrenz reached out to Hills, hoping to find answers. I spoke with 2 representatives and a vet 3 separate calls, she tells Petful. Next step, they were contacting my vet. But, she adds, I have not heard anything since.

Some of These Poor Dogs Never Stood a Chance

Claudia Montoya was feeding her Yorkshire Terrier, Dolly, Science Diet as recommended by the dogs vet for pancreatitis.

For 4 years, Dolly had eaten a mixture of wet and dry Science Diet with no issues. On Dec. 20, 2018, Montoya switched Dolly to an all-canned diet because the dog had just had some teeth removed.

Thats when Dolly started vomiting.

At first, this appeared to be another bout of pancreatitis. The vet recommended smaller, more frequent feedings. But Dolly didnt improve.

She would go anywhere from 24 to 48 hours without vomiting and then suddenly get sick again, says Montoya. She was also becoming lethargic and wasnt drinking water as much as she used to.

Montoya took her to the vet again, and they did more testing and prescribed something to help Dolly keep her food down.

Back at home, though, Dolly grew even more lethargic.

She would sleep most of the day and rarely get up from her bed, except when I took her outside or offered her food, Montoya says. If I tried to walk her, she would only go as far as our neighbors house before wanting to turn around.

As the days ticked by, Dolly just kept getting worse.

She still wasnt drinking enough, Montoya says, and by this point, she would simply lift her head from her bed and release the contents of her stomach with no warning.

The cute little Yorkie was getting weaker and smaller shed eventually lose a full third of her weight.

On Jan. 11, 2019, Montoya rushed Dolly to an emergency care facility. The problem was narrowed down to the dogs kidneys, though veterinary staff could only guess at the cause.

They thought she had some sort of toxin in her system, like chocolate or grapes, Montoya recalls. But I knew she couldnt have eaten anything else because I had spent every day with her and, because of her pancreatitis, never gave her anything except her prescription food.

The little dog was given a 50/50 chance of recovering, but the next afternoon, her kidneys started shutting down.

I had to say goodbye to her, Montoya says. The only consolation I have is that I was with her until the very end.

A few weeks later, Montoya got an email from a pet store cautioning customers about the recall, and thats when she knew what must have happened. Both Montoya and her sister have reached out to Hills but have not received a call back.

Montoya wants everyone to be aware of this recall its especially critical, she believes, because so many dogs with pre-existing medical conditions were being fed this food, which in some cases may make them more susceptible to the toxic overdose of Vitamin D.

I think its important to note that a lot, if not all, of the food that was affected in the recall was prescription food, Montoya tells Petful. It was for dogs who already had health issues and pre-existing conditions some of them never stood a chance.

This Is So Horrible

Ana Alberto also believes the tainted food killed her beloved dog, Baby Mashi.

She was the cutest, sweetest dog ever, says Alberto. She was full of life, alert and happy.

Like so many others, Alberto had fed her Science Diet for years without an issue. But in December 2018, when Baby Mashi ate the food, the dog deteriorated frighteningly fast.

Within a few days, Mashi went from being alert and full of life to stage 2 kidney failure. Not knowing the cause of the issue, Mashis vet recommended a switch to Hills k/d food.

Unfortunately, this batch may have had too much Vitamin D and Mashi didnt recover. It was the worst 4 days of our lives, and [there was] nothing we could do to help her, says Alberto.

Alberto has pleaded with Hills to take responsibility for the loss of Mashi and all the other dogs affected. Please be accountable and responsible for all the damage to these innocent souls that are no longer with us and we miss terribly, reads one Facebook post she wrote.

This is so horrible and very irresponsible of Hills, Alberto tells Petful. Mashi is so missed.

The common thread running through all these experiences is the suddenness of the symptoms and how fast these beloved pets deteriorated.

In a short span of time and without explanation the dogs were dead, leaving their stunned families grief-stricken and heartbroken.

Hills Response

The companys response to consumer complaints has been mixed.

Several people tell us they either cannot get through to Hills or that their messages have gone unanswered.

However, Petful has found that Hills has been fairly responsive in its Facebook posts about the recall.

When asked how the company plans to ensure this never happens again, Hills told Petful:

We have identified and isolated the error [that allowed for the toxic levels of Vitamin D] and, to prevent this from happening again, we required our supplier to implement additional quality safety testing prior to release of ingredients to Hills. In addition to our existing safety processes, we are adding our own further testing of incoming ingredients.

According to its website, Hills currently conducts a safety protocol that includes accepting ingredients from suppliers whose facilities meet stringent quality standards and who are approved by Hills.

The company also maintains that it examines and analyzes ingredient profiles, conducts annual quality systems audits for all manufacturing facilities, visually inspects and tests finished product for quality, and demand[s] compliance with current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP).

On paper, it seems that Hills has a fairly strong quality-control process that its promising to reinforce with additional product testing.

And while some concerned pet lovers report that they cannot get a response from the company, others tell us that Hills has at least reached out to them.

Alberto says she didnt get a reply from Hills for 2 weeks.

Donna Nehrenz, too, has heard from the company, though the situation remains unresolved. Despite getting few answers from Hills, Nehrenz says, I do feel they convey genuine concern and are actively listening.

Dry Food Isnt Part of Recall

Some people have expressed concern that there may be toxic levels of Vitamin D in Hills Science Diet or Prescription Diet dry food, which has not been recalled.

In fact, the company tells Petful that the dry food is completely safe.

First and foremost, its important to emphasize that this issue is restricted to a specific vitamin mix delivered by a supplier that was used in limited production of canned wet dog food, says Thomas DiPiazza, director of corporate communications for Colgate-Palmolive, which is the parent company of Hills Pet Nutrition.

That vitamin mix formula is not an ingredient in any of our dry foods, and there has been no reason to expand this voluntary recall to dry foods, he says.

DiPiazza adds, When we recognized this issue, the vitamin mixes received at Hills plants for use in our products, including other vitamin mixes used in dry foods, were tested and cleared for use. As part of our quality process, we monitor complaints and we saw no trends that would alert us to any other products in our portfolio containing excess Vitamin D.

Multiple Lawsuits Filed

Not surprisingly, multiple lawsuits have been filed by heartbroken families in the weeks after the massive dog food recall was announced.

One such lawsuit listed Hills Pet Nutrition, Inc., Hills Pet Nutrition Sales, Inc. and John Does 1-10 as defendants. According to that suit, the John Does are listed because the individuals personally responsible for the manufacture and sale of the tainted foods are currently unknown.

The suit was filed on behalf of several people whose pets died after eating the affected dog food including one womans fully trained and certified service dog named Duncan.

She had fed Duncan Hills food on her vets recommendation to help with the dogs pancreatitis. After Duncan ate the tainted food, he deteriorated so quickly that he had to be euthanized just 5 days later.

The lawsuit makes serious allegations, including that Hills knew that there was a problem as early as February 2018 nearly a full year before the recall was finally announced.

It also states that even after the FDA discovered high levels of Vitamin D in several of Hills pet foods, the company continued to manufacture and distribute the tainted product:

Not only has Hills sold contaminated food, but it has dragged its feet in issuing a recall and in including all contaminated food within the scope of the recall. Hills failure to promptly recall every contaminated product sold under the Prescription Diet and Science Diet lines is particularly egregious because it knew or should have known that these products contained toxic levels of vitamin D. Not only does Hills claim to subject its suppliers, raw materials and finished products to extensive and repeated quality testing, but vitamin D toxicity was a known risk much earlier than January 31, 2019 when Hills first announced its recall: in December of 2018 several other brands of dog food were recalled due to toxic levels of vitamin D found in those products, and dogs eating Hills Specialty Dog Foods began dying of vitamin D toxicity well before that.

The suit goes on to claim, The lethal nature of Hills Specialty Dog Foods has been compounded by Hills excessive and unwarranted delay in warning consumers and regulatory agencies of the dangers posed by those products and caused untold number of pet owners significant emotional distress and financial loss.

These pet lovers are just the tip of the iceberg. An estimated hundreds of pets have died, and the Hills Pet Nutrition Facebook page is a sad scroll through countless photos of beloved and lost pets.

We believe that hundreds, if not thousands, of pets have died or become seriously ill as a result of eating Hills foods with toxic levels of Vitamin D, says attorney Nyran Rose Rasche, according to CBS News.

The VIN News Service quoted a licensed veterinary technician whose 2 Pugs died after eating one of the recalled foods. I am heartbroken, furious and disgusted, she said.

The vet tech added, I have 15-plus years of experience in the veterinary field and because of that, Im probably a little better equipped to handle and understand what has happened, but I cant imagine what the average consumer is going through.

Also according to VIN, several veterinarians are vocalizing concerns, including Dr. Deborah Adelsohn, DVM, who says, I have been a Hills fan for over 25 years. This one is going to take a long time to get my trust back.

Donna Nehrenz is hopeful that, in this situation, justice will prevail to keep future generations of pets safe from tainted pet food products.

It seems a lot of folks are about the money, she says. No amount will bring Macy back or compensate for her suffering, or my thoughts that I didnt recognize it was more than her sensitive stomach or a mouth abscess but putting in place checks and balances to protect our pets in the future is crucial.

In the video below, NBC News speaks with more Science Diet recall victims:

Latest Recall Information

The Hills Science Diet and Prescription Diet recall extends far beyond the United States, with the company confirming that about 20% of the recalled product was shipped or slated to be shipped overseas to countries such as Sweden, France, Germany, Hong Kong and others.

If you live in a country other than the United States, check your country-specific Hills website for more information.

And if youre in the United States and have not done so already, we urge you to sign up now for PetfulsFREE U.S. pet food recall alertsby email. These free recall alerts are saving pets lives.

We sent out our Hills recall alert on Jan. 31 before it became national news. A subscriber named Cyndie M. told us, I immediately stopped giving my dog the affected Science Diet food. Saw nothing on the news, so your alert was a life-saver!

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