This is bad – real bad. Canadian authorities told me there is no place/no one to report a pet food adverse event to within Canada. The conversation I had with the Canadian national manager for Pet Food Imports wasn’t pretty, but it doesn’t deter determined petsumers.
Through several phone calls to Canadian authorities, I learned the bad news from Mr. Pierre Stang – National Manager for Pet Food Imports. Canada does not regulate pet food/treats; they are “not a controlled commodity”. Even if thousands of pets became ill believed to be linked to a pet food, there is no government authority in Canada to turn to.
Pet food in Canada is taxed, as well import taxes on pet foods coming into Canada provide the government money. So the Canadian government earns money from pet food – but does nothing to support the citizens who purchase it.
Friend and Canadian pet food safety advocate Rodney Habib (who has agreed to be drafted as Association for Truth in Pet Food Canada leader) is taking up the fight to change this. We will keep everyone posted on progress (and we’ll need some Canadian volunteers to help – please email me and I’ll direct you to Rodney or connect with him through his website linked above). Rodney knows his ‘stuff’ – and I’m confident we can work together to provide Canadian pet food consumers some options soon.
For now, the FDA has stated that Canadian citizens whose pet became ill linked to an U.S. made food or treat can file a report with FDA. As soon as we know more – a Report It! Canada poster will be provided.
Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,
Susan Thixton
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
Pet Food Safety Advocate
Author Buyer Beware, Co-Author Dinner PAWsible
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Jess
March 11, 2013 at 1:13 pm
Does this mean we should stay away from canadian pet foods?There are some really good ones out there, at least from what I can tell, like Orijen and Acana, does this mean we should only buy American? I feed orijen with the honest kitchen or some weruva to my dogs, should I pick a different kibble? I cant seem to find one that doesn’t compare in terms of ingredients and cant afford to do only honest kitchen — we have 3 dogs. What do you guys think? I noticed Orijen still hasn’t made the pledge yet….that concerns me, but I love their product. Yikes.
Jess
March 11, 2013 at 1:14 pm
*Correction* — should read “I can’t seem to find one that compares in terms of ingredients…”
Leslie
March 11, 2013 at 1:49 pm
This is unbelievable. I just can’t get over in this day and age, that so many people still have their heads in the sand and it’s not just with pet food, they are even clueless about their own food. But animal food and not just pet food is so bad. Farm animal food is bad, bird seed even for wild birds is full of pesticides and chemicals, it’s awful and scary.
Cindy
March 11, 2013 at 5:39 pm
I can’t believe it either! I have been pushing buying either Canadian or U.S. thinking those would be the safest.
A lot of our foods do come from the U.S. though, so reporting to the FDA would work in that case.
I was wondering why all the chicken jerky treats that have been recalled in the U.S. have not been recalled here in Canada – this kinda explains that . . .
maria segreto
March 11, 2013 at 6:02 pm
Susan, Rod knows me please tell him my company 3 dog’s tail will back him up.
Susan Thixton
March 11, 2013 at 6:04 pm
Will do.
Sandy
March 11, 2013 at 7:35 pm
HI Susan,
I live in Victoria British Columbia Canada and am a member of
Pet summer Report. I just started a small on line magazine to
help the plight of black cats. I am also very concerned about the
state of pet foods in Canada with no regulations.
Please let me know how I can help?
Susan Thixton
March 11, 2013 at 7:43 pm
I just forwarded your name and email to Rodney – he will get back to you. Thank you so much!
Allison Nicolas
March 11, 2013 at 8:01 pm
Hi Susan
Can you forward my email to Rodney?I’d love to help with this issue in Canada!
Susan Thixton
March 11, 2013 at 8:11 pm
Will do.
Wil
March 12, 2013 at 11:44 am
I will so whatever I can to help.
Ann
March 13, 2013 at 12:33 pm
I switched to Orijen recently after my dog was seriously sickened by Nestle Purina treats. I didn’t mind paying more for what I thought were stricter controls and higher quality of the Orijen products.
I will need to re-think this if it is determined to be a serious problem in the consumer’s reporting ability in Canada.
G Willie
March 14, 2013 at 1:13 pm
“unbelievable”….huh? HARDLY!
How can it be unbelievable after all the recent truly unfathomable human food poisonings, courtesy of the Canadian “Beef” Industry (and, of course the Canadian Food Non-Inspection Agency)???
The current “crowd on the hill” has as its mantra, “Industry, go regulate yourselves.” And, “Be dammed, all you pesky foreign-funded rabble rousers!”
Doesn’t anyone remember the famous reply by Chuckie Strahl – the then Agriculture Minister – when the massive 2007 food recalls hit the fan – that the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association regulated the petfood industry in this country???!!!!! Now, that piece of ignorance was un-bloody-unbelievable.
Non-regulation is nothing new…here’s a piece from CBC at that time:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/consumers/pet-food-law.html
BTW…there is no, nor has there ever been, any political stripe on my doorstep.
And, one other BTW for those using Orijen: while it is sometimes difficult for us to admit that we have been “had”, we have a responsibility to our little ones to accept reality. 1.”Orijen” is a product of new-age market spindoctoring, courtesy of the Alberta taxpayer. There is a thread on Itchmoforums.com which documents the 2008 Orijen poisonings of several hundred Australian cats, and, in that thread you will find the specifics of how Orijen came to be. 2. Orijen has used fish offal (waste product) from Day One: http://www.freshwaterfish.com/system/files/L2PNewsletter%20Winter%202011.pdf (See p.2 “Market Update”) Hardly shimmering fresh lakefish!
Establishing ANY regulation here will be more than an uphill battle
I’m up for some of it…add me in!
Lynn
March 15, 2013 at 9:03 am
To Jess
Champion Pet foods which makes Orijen and Acana has pledged nothing is outsourced from China. They use only local products and that applies to their meat sources and their vitamins, minerals and botanicals. There was a post about it on their Facebook not long ago.
Lynn
March 15, 2013 at 9:17 am
Here is the post from Champion Pet Food’s official site:
Question: Do ACANA and ORIJEN dog and cat food formulas contain any ingredients from China?
Answer:
There are no ingredients from China used in the preparation of our dog and cat food formulas, including vitamins — we are 100% China-free.
Our production focus is on FRESH INGREDIENTS supplied regionally and all of our products are made exclusively within our own award-winning factory here in Alberta, Canada. And rest assured, our products are biologically appropriate, the way Mother Nature intended.
If you go on their site they actually name the suppliers of their food. Something not many companies will do sadly.
G Willie
March 15, 2013 at 11:51 am
@”Lynn”:
Lynn, would you be a spindoctress from Champion Petfoods, by any chance?
Your “production focus is on fresh ingredients…”
I mean, common! Plain and simple language, please.
You use fish offal, also known as by-products, as publicly confirmed by the supplier…
And, this fish waste product makes up 35% of your Orijen cat food….and, you suggest we “rest assured” Orijen is “biologically appropriate” for cats???
Sweetie, every piece of real (not SPIN) science screams out “Fish is NOT APPROPRIATE for cats”
Caninecare
February 19, 2015 at 8:00 pm
we don’t advocate any particular food but from what I’ve researched I would say is that for kibble Orijen and acana are the best. What i give as a treat to my dogs who I cook for or use Honest Kitchen. I’m going to ask them if this is true about the fish offal. If its true I would be horrified, I’m expecting everything to be ‘human grade’ edible quality from them.