Kohl Harrington (producer of the documentary Pet Fooled, recent law school graduate) was emailing with Erin Bubb of Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. The topic of these emails was the vague AAFCO definitions of raw, HPP’d pet foods, and freeze dried (such as a kibble pet food that claims ‘Raw Coated’).
Ms. Bubb should be very familiar with these products and definitions as she is a State Feed Official and she is the Chair of the AAFCO Ingredient Definitions Committee. However, as emails went back and forth – Ms. Bubb could not/would not provide an explanation to why claims like ‘Raw Coated kibble’ are allowed to mislead consumers.
As Kohl Harrington did not give up his questions, the tone of the emails from Ms. Bubb began to change.
Ms. Bubb’s attitude in her emails changed so much so that Kohl addressed the ‘attitude’ by stating: “your tone in earlier responses came across as dismissive and unprofessional – especially toward a member of the public raising a serious concern about product misbrand and food safety.”
And then the AAFCO Ingredient Definitions Committee Chair/Pennsylvania State Feed Official replied with this…
“That was just for you, Kohl Harrington. After all these years, if you haven’t learned yet that we can get more accomplished by working together than offering the rude, pompous, over-inflated version of whatever you think you are, then you’ll never learn.”
Ms. Bubb offered cruel, insulting words that were intentional; “just for you, Kohl Harrington”. She suggested they should work together – but in the same sentence called Kohl a “rude, pompous, over-inflated version of whatever you think you are”.
Can you ever work with someone that calls you a “rude, pompous, over-inflated version of whatever you think you are”?
No – you cannot. Those words were not intended for a future of working together. Those words were intended to put a consumer advocate in their place. Those words were meant to silence.
Over many years of attempting to work with regulatory authorities (FDA and State Feed Officials) – their attitude towards consumer/consumer advocates has been consistently dismissive. ‘We know what is best for you – DON’T question us.’ And if you dare to question them/question regulations – you are greeted with snarky insults or they simply refuse to communicate with you. ‘DON’T question us.’
To my knowledge (and Kohl has shared hundreds of email communications with me over the many years we have been friends), Kohl Harrington has NEVER been rude to a regulatory authority. Kohl has never resorted to verbal abuse even though he has been treated so unfairly.
For me, I have bit my lip on more than one occasion when I was treated poorly by FDA, an AAFCO representative, or a State Feed Official. I have NEVER treated them as they have treated me.
History has shown us that it is impossible to ‘work with’ regulatory. History has proven they have NO intention of working with consumers in the best interest of our pets. For most of them, they are not respectful of consumers, they are not even civil to consumers. History is telling us that we need to take a different approach.
And we will.
We reported Ms. Erin Bubb’s abusive behavior to PA Department of Agriculture and to AAFCO.
Susan Thixton
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
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T Allen
July 22, 2025 at 4:16 pm
Childish behavior is all the rage in the Gov now. The more immature and unprofessional you act the better the “higher ups” like you. Until they don’t. These youngsters need to remember what is said online is online forever and can come back to haunt in the future. She’ll learn someday. In the meantime we’ll keep asking questions and spreading the word about the toxic garbage sold as pet feed. Thanks for all you do Susan, and Kohl too!
Bonnie S Morris
July 22, 2025 at 4:21 pm
Good for you calling them on it. Who do they think they are? It’s supposed to be their job. I was a county employee for years. If I had spoken to a member of the public like that I would have been fired on the spot.
Terrie
July 22, 2025 at 6:26 pm
Ms Bubb seems very confident in her right to be able to speak so disrespectfully to a question from a consumer advocate.
It’s unacceptable.
Thank you for all that you do, on behalf of people and their pets.
deb caponi
July 23, 2025 at 12:18 am
Carry on pet food advocates/warriors!! Thank you for being the voice of our voiceless pets. You are both so appreciated.
Fifitrixiebelle
July 23, 2025 at 2:12 pm
Check out what arrogant, classless Erin the beehive said on LinkedIn:
“Beware of the individual with a savior complex. That level of inflated sense of self-importance doesn’t represent a humble servant. It is more typical of a pathological narcissist. What motivates this person?
📌 Fantasies of unlimited success or brilliance
📌 Need for admiration/validation
📌 Entitlement
📌 Envy
As a public employee, I’ve come across my share over the last 25 years, and I can spot them a mile away. They aren’t interested in the solution. They seek a higher calling. But false prophets, they are.”
Linda Blevins
July 23, 2025 at 2:35 pm
It would be wonderful if Susan could get an appointment with Bobby Kennedy to also start actions to Make America’s Pets Healthy Again! He could get much needed changes made to pet food regulations and also the overuse of vaccines in pets. Thank you for all that you do.
CB
July 23, 2025 at 3:58 pm
Unprofessional and unacceptable. Hope she’s looking for a new job next week.
Kohl Harrington
July 23, 2025 at 10:33 pm
It’s alarming that a public regulator is actively circumventing her own state’s Administrative Procedures Act, working behind closed doors to shape pet food regulations that directly affect consumer health and trust. That alone should raise serious concern.
Even more troubling is the contradiction in her messaging. She claims, “we’re stronger working together,” yet refuses to work with the very consumers these laws are meant to protect. She says she cares about the public’s best interest, but her actions consistently say otherwise.
She and other regulators are now claiming copyright over the regulations they draft—effectively blocking transparency. At the same time, they’re refusing to ensure that regulatory meetings follow their own state’s public process laws.
I contacted her asking about specific labeling practices, such as how her state permits what appears to be pasteurized products to be marketed as “raw.” She openly admitted that pasteurized isn’t raw, yet tried to shift the blame onto me for her agency’s regulatory failure. Rather than address the issue, she attempted to dodge accountability and cast me as the problem for even raising it.
This isn’t an isolated experience. I’ve asked basic, respectful questions like, “Will this be looked into?”, questions that deserve straightforward answers. A simple “yes” or “no” would suffice. And if it’s a “no,” then explain why. Why pursue enforcement in some areas but ignore others, especially when the issue is potentially fraudulent marketing harming consumers? Isn’t it your job to look into that? To investigate?
Instead, regulators like her lean on a tired tactic: playing the “you’re being rude” card. It’s a deflection, used to avoid scrutiny. And when we follow up? Suddenly we are labeled the aggressors.
Enough with the theatrics. This isn’t about tone, it’s about accountability. It’s about doing your job. It’s about protecting consumers from fraud. If regulators truly cared about public welfare, they’d welcome scrutiny, not treat it like a threat. It’s not a threat. The threat actually are the regulators who continue to try and do as much public rule making behind closed doors, then mark it off as “public” and “adopted by reference” into state laws. ENOUGH! Stop cutting out citizens. Stop cutting out the public rule making. Austin Therell? You were a regulator. You “run” AAFCO as an exec now. You have constant excuses for why AAFCO can’t be more publicly accountable and why you can’t force them. Let me remind you… this is an organization of public regulators. You can come together and work together to a certain extent. The fact you make so many excuses for public regulators making regulations in private will not cease to be met with challenges. Stop going against consumers.
So I’ll continue to request she as a “regulator” do something. After all, they claim they are HIGHLY REGULATING this industry. What is she going to do to fix this? It’s obviously an issue. One USDA is on a different page about and has been considering this practice similar to cooked. Why are pet food regulators so hell bent otherwise? We need more open accountability. I’m going to continue to push for it until I get it.
Bonnie S Morris
July 26, 2025 at 10:23 am
Very well said. I am behind you guys 1000%. Do any of these people have pets of their own. I don’t understand why they think that consumers have no rights to know whats in something they buy. I thought they were supposed to work in our behalf. Seems tome they are on the wrong side.
Thank you Susan and Kohl for all your efforts in looking out for our pets best interest.
Duncan
July 25, 2025 at 2:15 pm
Entitled and ill-mannered people have become the norm–but what is said on the internet will last. Once expressions of poor behavior might be outlived but no longer.
Cheryl K
July 25, 2025 at 4:20 pm
Thank you for always standing strong for all of us as pet food/feed consumers. Bullying has been the norm from these regulatory agencies for all the years I have followed you. At some point they have to stop.
Janine
July 30, 2025 at 11:08 am
I’ve written Erin Bubb twice on this issue, and there’s no response from her. I cc’d her boss on the last inquiry. I don’t understand regulatory individuals like her who don’t answer basic questions for the public, yet want to take action that influences the public. here is what I asked her: “You consider pasteurization to be raw in Pennsylvania? You’ve never looked into this issue? You’re refusing to look into it now? Can you confirm why you consider this process raw for meat, but USDA considers it not to be raw for things like juices? They use the same machine. Again, have you ever looked into this from a regulatory perspective?”
Susan Thixton
July 30, 2025 at 11:37 am
Thank you for writing her. And they should respond to consumer questions!