The Consumerist.com reports some startling information regarding Purina Pet Foods when Beneful dog food was purchased infested with maggots. Consumerist.com states when the pet owner called Purina for an explanation, she was told: “As soon as our food leaves our factory, it is no longer our responsibility.” Petsmart, where the food was purchased, also told the pet owner it was not their responsibility.
If you owned a company, and REALLY cared about the product you produced, would you stand behind your product? Would you bother to make sure distributors treated your product with respect? Would you be selective on who and how your product was handled and warehoused to make sure customers purchased the same quality you intended when it was made? It seems not everyone does.
A warning, the pictures and video is graphic and downright gross. http://consumerist.com/5052707/purina-isnt-bothered-by-dog-food-infested-with-fly-larvae-maggots. Pet owners do not know if the Beneful dog food maggot infestation originated at Purina or in Petsmart warehousing.
So back to the question at hand, if you owned a company that produced a pet food (or any other type of product) would you feel that once it leaves your warehouse ‘it is no longer your responsibility’? It is perplexing that Purina would state ‘it is no longer our responsibility’ when their trademarked registered slogan is “Your Pet, Our Passion”. Does the ‘passion’ end when their products leave the manufacturing plant? I would hope not.
Back in 2007 when the largest pet food recall in history took the lives of thousands of pets, all of the pet food manufacturers involved pointed fingers at Menu Foods. Each pet food manufacturer has their own individual recipes, but each pet food manufacturer didn’t bother to oversee where or who Menu Foods purchased ingredients from. Was the recall last year pet food manufacturers telling pet owners ‘it is not our responsibility where our manufacturer acquires ingredients’?
So, if it is not their responsibility where and who ingredients come from, and if it is not their responsibility after the dog food or cat food leaves the manufacturing plant…exactly what is their responsibility? Let’s see, if you own a business and someone slips and falls because the floor was wet from a spill you didn’t clean up…you get sued. If you own a business and a kid climbs up shelving and falls…you get sued. Geez, even if you sell hot coffee and someone carelessly spills it, knowing they just purchased ‘hot’ coffee…you get sued. I’m not endorsing lawsuits by any means, but is anyone in pet food ever going to step up and take responsibility for what they sell?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if everything you purchased for your pet and/or your family was made by a company that truly cared about every food or product they produced? Wouldn’t it be fantastic to purchase items from a company that stood behind what they made, that cared about every distribution aspect and every ingredient? They are out there, we just have to find them.
Where many pet owners are finding them is the small, independently owned shops and small, ‘can’t afford the advertising’ pet food manufacturers. The ‘little guys’ have been struggling in all areas of consumer products since Walmart opened their first store. Many, many independently owned businesses were forced to close their doors not capable to compete with the Low Price Leader. Same held true for small pet shops when the super stores such as Petsmart, Petco, and Pet Supermarket began popping up on every corner. Many small pet stores that actually bothered to stand behind their products and bothered to educate their customers on pets and pet supplies were forced to close.
The good news is that within the last several years, despite the growth of super stores, many gallant business owners are trying their hand at doing things differently. They hand select products or ingredients and they stand behind what they sell. They are NOT discount stores or discount manufacturers. We have enough of those. They are businesses who stay in constant contact with every product manufacturer they represent or every ingredient supplier. They know their customers depend on them, most even know the names of every customer. These business owners are hoping that integrity will prosper over low prices, even though all odds are against them.
If you are looking for the lowest price of a pet food, you’ve got many options of where to go. By the way, the Walmart brothers are number 2 and 3 on the richest Americans list this year. But if you are looking to purchase products for your family and your family of pets that are made by or sold by people who will stand by what they make or what they sell, I urge you to take your business (and your hard earned dollars) to some of those independent businesses.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author, Buyer Beware
Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
TruthaboutPetFood.com
PetsumerReport.com
What’s in Your Pet’s Food?
Is your dog or cat eating risk ingredients? Chinese imports? Petsumer Report tells the ‘rest of the story’ on over 2500 cat foods, dog foods, and pet treats. 30 Day Satisfaction Guarantee. www.PetsumerReport.com
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