Menu Foods Says It's Ready to Process Claims from Pet Owners (Must Read for Pet Owners)

Consumer Affairs.com ^ | May 17, 2007 | Lisa Wade McCormick

[greyfoxx39]

Menu Foods has posted claims information on its Web site for pet owners whose pets were killed or injured by contaminated feed.

The Canadian-based company in March recalled more than 60 million containers of melamine-tainted pet food -- linked to the deaths and illnesses of thousands of dogs and cats nationwide -- and now says it will “address any reasonable expense incurred by pet owners that we can identify as being caused by contamination of Menu Foods’ products.”

The company also advised pet owners of the ramifications of settling directly with Menu Foods instead of joining one of the more than 50 class-action lawsuits filed in the United States and Canada.

-snip-

The company requires them to file the following documentation, which many pet owners may not have:

• Receipts from the purchase of the affected products;
• Copies of any labels from the products;
• Copies of any records from a veterinarian, clinic or other healthcare facility;

[greyfoxx39]

From the "hurdles" erected before any claim can be considered, and the "ramifications" threatened for a class action suit, I doubt many pet owners will be able to receive any kind of settlement.

Disclaimer: It may be O.K. to post the entire article here, but I like to give the web site the hits. The whole article is worth reading.

[greyfoxx39]

Ping

[greyfoxx39]

More from the article: "Pet owners are also asked to save all opened and unopened cans and pouches of the affected dog and cat foods.

In addition, pet owners must fill out a lengthy questionnaire that asks for such information as the UPC codes on the recalled foods, dates the products were manufactured, dates when their pets ate the food, number of cans or pouches their pets ate, and whether their pets had any pre-existing conditions.

[sweetiepiezer]

Thanks for posting.

[greyfoxx39]

You’re welcome...I searched and didn’t find it had been posted earlier.

[dawn53]

Seems a little crazy to me. If you fed your dog the “bad” food, and a week later ended up with a very sick dog, I’m sure you don’t have the labels from the affected food or a receipt for the purchased food.

They’re not doing themselves any favor by requiring this strict of documentation. The vet’s reports, i.e. treatment, cause of illness, etc, should be enough.

[dirtboy]

From the "hurdles" erected before any claim can be considered, and the "ramifications" threatened for a class action suit, I doubt many pet owners will be able to receive any kind of settlement.

Very bad PR move by the company. It would be cheaper to pay vet bills plus five grand for ANY pet that showed symptoms consistent with the problem than to face the inevitable class-action suit that will stem from this approach.

[greyfoxx39]

They’re not doing themselves any favor by requiring this strict of documentation. The vet’s reports, i.e. treatment, cause of illness, etc, should be enough.

IIRC, during the time that this was hitting all the news sources, they said time and again that they would "make things right" or words to that effect.

[dirtboy]

My animals get Iams and Science Diet.

I will write both companies and demand they do not use Menu Foods after this ham-handed approach to dealing with the impact.

[VeniVidiVici]

Sort of off topic but I happend to look at a back of Motts applejuice and it said it was made from concentrate out of the US, Argentina and China.

I think I’m going to start looking at each food item I purchase for descriptions like this. If they don’t have it, I’ll pass.

[PAR35]

Actually, the cheapest out for them would be a class action suit. The plaintiff’s lawyer would get a few million, the lead plaintiffs would get a few thousand, and the ordinary victims would get coupons for free pet food from Menu.

Given their restrictions on the current program, it appears that they have recognized the class action would be cheaper than processing claims.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

This is bullcrap! My dad had to put his 8-year-old white Persian to sleep because of kidney failure, probably after eat it some the poisoned food. Needless to say, he does not have his original receipt, or the packaging, or any pictures of the cat while it was wasting away (since neither he nor the vet knew what was happening at the time, at least until the news broke, and everything had been thrown away. Class action is the way to go on this, if for nothing else to drive Menu Foods into bankruptcy, which it and its suppliers richly deserve.

[dirtboy]

I have a feeling a class-action suit would be a lot worse than that.

[PAR35]

I don’t know about you, but I usually pitch the cans in the garbage or recycle bin after serving the pet food. As far as I know, our cat probably only got one can of the tainted food. She ate a little, and threw up on the dining room carpet.

[PAR35]

No, there are plaintiffs lawyers now who work with the companies. Generally, the lawyers and the lead plaintiffs are the only ones who get much out of the class action suits. The class members usually get hosed. Very few people bother to ‘opt out’.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

TANKS for the ping,,,I hope everybody goes with the class action suit,,,

[ErnBatavia]

Class action is the way to go on this

It's more than likely a participant in a Class Action is going to maybe need more documentation, not less...otherwise, it's a toss out of court.

(kinda like those Chicago bus accidents where there are 3 passengers, but 45 witnesses in the 'hood end up claiming bad backs)

[MagnoliaMS]

That required documentation is a slap in the face to owners who lost their pets from this. My dogs had eaten Ol' Roy for years, and I had no reason to save all the receipts, much less the labels, and neither would anyone else during the time period the food was contaminated. I was fortunate that my dogs seem to be fine, but others unfortunately were not so lucky. Maybe the dry food which was the major part of their diet was the reason. Why on earth would they think people would be saving labels and receipts when they did not have a clue what was killing their pets? Dumb question. Of course they don't think that. What an insult.

[Calpernia]

ping

[mom4kittys]