Several months ago I sent a letter to the White House asking President Obama to hold foreign pet food/treat manufacturers to the same standards as U.S. pet food/treat manufacturers. Unfortunately, I received a typical political response. Here’s what our President told me…
My letter to President Obama wasn’t the first, but it was the first that has been responded to. This particular letter pointed out that jerky treat manufacturers in the U.S. are held to a different standard than jerky treat manufacturers in China. I asked the President the question, how can U.S. companies compete with foreign companies if they are not held to the same regulatory authority? I received a response that did not address one point from my letter – it was little more than political jargon.
You can read the whole story by clicking Here, but below pretty much sums up the story…
Here was the email I sent to the White House…
Dear President Obama,
As a concerned patriotic American, I ask you how can U.S. companies compete with foreign companies if they are not held to the same standards?
Recently, an American pet treat company experienced a recall after the Colorado Department of Agriculture found Salmonella in a dog treat. As follow up, the FDA inspected this American company and took 87 samples. The FDA used its regulatory authority and ‘urged’ this American manufacturer and numerous private label brands to recall. No pet deaths have been associated with this American company.
However, recently a Chinese pet treat company was inspected by FDA. This Chinese manufacturer would not allow FDA to take any samples, would not provide complete ingredient information to FDA, and many of the required individuals of the company were not present – unavailable during inspection. The Chinese company wasn’t registered with FDA according to the Bioterrorism Act. The FDA used no regulatory authority – in fact, this Chinese company showed FDA their muscles and the FDA went running back home. Jerky treats from China have been linked to more than 500 pet deaths per FDA reports.
This is not right. How can U.S. manufacturers survive if importing companies are provided with selective enforcement? I’m waving the U.S. flag here. We have to have someone level the playing field. Please, Mr. President – provide U.S. companies that level playing field. Hold foreign manufacturers to the same standards as U.S. manufacturers are held to.
A patriotic American,
Susan Thixton
TruthaboutPetFood.com
Association for Truth in Pet Food
Pet Food Consumer Advocate
And below is the response I received from President Obama…
I truly doubt it is a “diverse opinion” that foreign manufacturers should be held to the same standards as U.S. manufacturers. If there would be a vote taken, I’m actually quite confident that a very large majority of U.S. consumers – pet food consumers in particular – believe that foreign food suppliers should be held to the same safety standards/regulations that U.S. food suppliers are held to.
It is extremely discouraging when the President or a member of Congress (or any other politician) responds to a sincere plea with little to no reference to your message. To completely ignore the message sent and provide a canned politically correct response is discouraging and leaves you with the feeling ‘they’ (regardless who ‘they’ are) are just trying to appease you – shut you up in the easiest way they can. This is not about this response from President Obama – this is about almost every response we all receive from our elected officials.
A few years ago – pet food consumers across the U.S. wrote their elected officials letters asking Congress to investigate the illegal ingredients in some pet foods (such as rendered rejected for use in human food ingredients). More than 50 different members of Congress received the same letter. Only one Senator proved he read our letter – the late Senator Robert Byrd. In fact, Senator Byrd wrote the FDA asking for details about rendered waste in pet foods. But he was the only one that did; all the rest responded with the typical politically correct nonsense that gave no mention of the topic.
Politicians make it difficult to be a proud American.
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
What’s in Your Pet’s Food?
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Dr. Laurie Coger
September 3, 2013 at 12:33 pm
Looks like a form letter to me…what does that say about the responsiveness of our government?
Mari Whitmer
September 3, 2013 at 4:00 pm
You are right about that. Can you say FORM LETTER!
Sirena
September 4, 2013 at 11:16 am
I agree that sounds like a form letter. It would have been better to not respond at all, IMO.
cherie holverson
September 3, 2013 at 1:31 pm
Our president doesn’t know how to make a decision concerning anything in our country. Very sad!!
Lucy K
September 3, 2013 at 1:50 pm
How sad. I seriously doubt the President even saw your original letter. Just a typical form letter reply.
Dalmom
September 3, 2013 at 1:54 pm
All that is, is a political propaganda of nonsense! Not only does it not address your concerns, but basically, like a typical politician, it states nothing too! Really sad that idiots like this run our government…and I’m not singling out the president, even his assistants are lacking in intelligence!
Connie Collum
September 3, 2013 at 2:11 pm
It’s just a form letter. No reply would have been better.
SJC
September 3, 2013 at 2:36 pm
I guess it would be better to focus on whoever has congressional oversight of the FDA??? Might be easier to get to. But you’ve probably already done that as well.
Marsha
September 3, 2013 at 5:08 pm
Maybe we should all copy that FORM LETTER and send it back asking for a response to the letter that was sent by Susan. Where in the world does it say anything about DOG FOOD or TREATS? NO WHERE!!!!!! And ask if the President even saw the letter.
Debi
September 3, 2013 at 5:24 pm
How nicely and formally can he/they say, “We don’t give a damn”? We are poisoning the people of the U.S. with our G.M.O.’s, water and flouride, why the heck should we care about what goes on with your pets?
jb
September 11, 2013 at 9:39 am
AMEN!
Concerned
September 3, 2013 at 8:02 pm
I’m kind of glad the USDA approved China to process and return America’s chicken. When humans get sick (or even die) from the chicken processed in China, people will pay attention, listen, and make drastic changes. Unfortunately, animals for many people are not considered as important. I doubt all these voluntary recalls for salmonella are in the best interest of our pets rather than the worry that a human will get sick.
Susan Thixton
September 3, 2013 at 9:26 pm
One of the huge problems is that I am hearing one of the first places this chicken will go is school lunch programs. Children will be the test subjects.
Pacific Sun
September 4, 2013 at 12:19 am
From Food, Inc. (a documentary) I can tell you the chicken production industry has always been suspect with me. One of the things that originally kicked chicken production into high gear was the introduction of the Fast Food industry including KFC and McDonalds and all those to follow. Those kinds of companies created such a huge and instantaneous demand for poultry, that the industry found ways to “fast track” the entire agribusiness, including slaughtering chickens not even reaching natural (or normal) maturity. Obviously by force feeding them chemically enhanced nutrition and using growth stimulants. The last straw for me, was in the packaging of poultry, by pumping up the product (to increase weight, and therefore profit) with liquids. I am gluten sensitive, so any type of water based starchy solution (or thickening agent) that is not declared, seriously affects me. When I (used to) eat certain brands of chicken I got very sick within a short period of time. Then I found certain brands of chicken weren’t even agreeing with one of my dogs either. Now I buy only organic (Coleman’s) from Costco which is compatible with our diets. I think it is a travesty that a very normal and fundamental protein source such as chicken has been so exaggerated by the industry. And it is very interesting (perhaps even coincidental) that as the FDA has begun to approve the import of chicken from China, certain companies such as Foster Farms of California (and Purdue) farms are trying to “distinguish” their product by claiming the chickens are “humane certified” (whatever that means!) and have “no artificial additives” (whatever that means!). And yet, you can bet your bottom dollar these chickens are being fed the kind of diets to protect them from contagious diseases and other problems the result of mega-production practices. Otherwise they would never survive. Frankly I think the Pledge to Quality and Origin ought to apply to human grade food just as much as it should to pet food!!! Manufacturers have a right to do what they want to their products – but consumers have an even bigger right to know exactly what it is they are doing. To then be able to make informed choices!!!!
Tammy Baugh
September 4, 2013 at 1:41 am
Susan that to me is sad. You ask a direct question full of love for the pets most all of us have, and just get some paper that has off the wall BS in it as a response. How like a politician our own President is. I say I doubt very much if our own President cares an iota about any one of or our beloved pets. Why don’t you email the same basic letter to an organization called PETA? If there were a petition going around (the internet would be an excellent place to start) then I bet a lot of people would sign it and changes would begin to be made. AS it is nothing positive is going to get done as long as those who don’t care are getting and then ignoring your very important message(s). Good luck! And if I get an invite to sign a petition like this I sure will and pass it on and on and on!
Michele
September 4, 2013 at 9:00 pm
what a joke!! but typical… and sad… but I guess when you’re the president you don’t have to care about “other peoples pets” because your pets are fed petfood prepared by chef’s, daily… I bet his dogs eat more grade A meat than my family does.
Michael Jones
September 5, 2013 at 9:02 pm
No one I hope actually believes that a letter like this gets read by the President. It’s a staffer response and a low level staffer to boot. What needs to be done is use a simple vote form, send it to all on this web list, have them vote and have the forms sent to the various Reps and Senators. There must be 150 million pet owners in this country and if enough signed the petition there might be a positive response. Quit blaming the President for every little thing. The Congress provides funding and right now if they have their way you will have less involvement of the USG in any regulations in food or anything else. The more mass you have behind a cause the easier to persuade.
Interested Pet Owner
September 5, 2013 at 10:59 pm
This isn’t the place to spout politics necessarily. However, since the subject does have to do with a WH form letter and guess-timating the effectiveness of the President regarding the cause of PF safety, I think it’s pretty evident by what’s already going on in Congress and the Senate right now, that we’re not exactly seeing independent, decisive “action” from the top down. In fact, whatever one’s personal persuasion towards involvement or none happens to be, divesting one’s self of immediate responsibility (regardless of it’s popularity or public opinion) suggests ambiguity and waffling to curious observers. No, I was never particularly fond of the previous administration, and disagree with inappropriate conflict. But I do have to give credit where due, that at least a decision was made, and that decision held solid, and all the responsibility (whether favorable or not) was shouldered (and never apologized for) by the Leader of the Country at that time. What we need now for “our” own PF Advocacy cause is a passion for the truth, a demand for transparency, adhering to unwavering principle, and the tenancity to keep pushing against impossible obstacles in order to be successful!! So, do we see much of that happening in Government today?? Talk is cheap.