Nine Hundred Dollars: Is that all my dog was worth?

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Magic is dead from tainted food and the courts decided Menu foods is at fault. The decision does not satisify any of us.

From Consumer Affairs.com:

Grieving pet owners -- whose dogs and cats became sick or died last year after eating melamine-tainted food -- are one step closer to recovering their economic losses, though not all consumers are applauding a proposed settlement.
One called it "a slap in the face."
A U.S. District Court Judge in Camden, New Jersey yesterday gave preliminary approval to a $24 million settlement in a class action lawsuit that stems from the largest pet food recall in U.S. history.
"What we did get out of this settlement for consumers is the possibility of complete recovery of all economic damages -- even for lost carpets and time -- in addition to their veterinary bills. Even in cases where people do not have documentation of their damages, the settlement allows in some cases up to $900 for each person."

See the full article:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/05/pet_food_recalls97.html

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Oh, Lynne, I just don't know what to say. I know there is no amount of money that could begin to compensate you for Magic's loss, but $900??!!! And for them to mention replacing carpets?! I am (for once) at a loss for words. I am so, so, so sorry.
Hugs to you & your pack from me & Jack

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

The sad part is it is "up to $900." So obviously, some of us won't even get anything close to a just compensation. This occured over 2 years ago and they are still wrangling in courts. As if any price could be "just," they just want the news to go away so they can get back to business as usual. My claims have been in for over a year now and every time some news like this comes out, I get "pissed" all over again. How dare they? That's my soap box time. So thanks for listening.

[2hl9mp3c2fuam]

Absoltuley terrible!!! :-) I hope you manage to recover.... no matter the cause...death is so hard, but this seems to make it worse. My thoughts are with you.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

TODAY'S NEWS UPDATE:


http://www.app.com/article/20081230/NEWS/81230043

MOUNT LAUREL — More than 23,000 pet owners in the United States have asked for money from a $24 million settlement for owners of dogs and cats who were sickened or died after
eating pet food contaminated with an industrial chemical.
U.S. pet owners with claims were set to start receiving checks sometime in 2009, but their payments could be held up even longer while a judge sorts out last-minute appeals to the settlement filed by four people.

The legal snag pits lawyers against lawyers in a complex and emotionally fraught case.

"If one of their objections succeeds, the class comes unraveled,'' said Kenneth A. Wexler, a Chicago lawyer involved in working out a settlement.

The case began in March 2007, when dogs and cats mysteriously started getting sick. It turned out that the common thread was pet food produced under nearly 200 labels -- much of it by the Menu Foods Income Fund in Streetsville, Ontario.

Most of the food contained Chinese-made wheat gluten laced with melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizers.

Menu Foods other companies involved in making, distributing and selling the food, agreed to pay pet owners up to $24 million in a deal approved by a judge in October.

The settlement also includes Canadian pet owners, who have until Jan. 27 to file claims.

While the settlement does not compensate owners for pain and suffering associated with the death or illness of their pets, it was structured to pay up to 100 percent for a variety of other costs -- from vet bills to replacing carpet ruined by sick pets.

Pet owners can get up to $900 for undocumented claims -- for example, if they didn't save receipts that showed they bought the contaminated pet food.

A claims administrator will review the claims. If those that are approved add up to more than the amount available to pet owners, the payout to each owner will be reduced. It's not clear yet how long it might take to determine whether the awards would be reduced.

Plaintiffs lawyers have requested more than $6 million from the settlement.

Four pet owners are appealing the case for a variety of reasons.

Two California pet owners say the settlement does not address their concern that the contaminated food was labeled "Made in the USA'' though it contained products from China.

Attorney Jeffrey L. Weinstein from Athens, Texas, who is representing two other people, said class action settlements are often rushed through.

"There's this wink-wink agreement, where all of the sudden, everybody's so happy there's this resolution,'' Weinstein said. "In most of these scenarios, the class members get little or no true value.''

In legal filings, plaintiffs lawyers called Weinstein "a professional objector'' to
class-action settlements who uses the same boilerplate objections repeatedly and said Weinstein's efforts were aimed at helping himself, not the pet owners.

Lawyers for the plaintiffs have asked a judge to make the objectors post bonds -- $12,500 combined for the California pet owners, and $192,500 for Weinstein's clients -- to assure they're serious about their claims before the objections can move ahead.

The judge has asked for legal briefs to help him work through the bond request

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

I am nauseated reading this, so I can't even begin to imagine how it makes you feel.
I am so so sorry that this happened to Magic, & to your family.
Big huge doodle hugs to you all.

[Teresa]

There are too many things I want to say and none of them would be healthy for you to hear Lynne. This is like looking at that accident on the side of the road - you have to look but it makes you feel sick when you do it.

I'm so sorry for your pain.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Karen and Teresa, Thank you for all you have done to make this all palatable for me. But the horrible thing is, this will never end. Even after killing all those dogs and cats, even after taking blame for putting crap in the food, even after the class action suit and the settlement ... Magic is gone.

I thought this would finally be over, but the only one's who will profit are the lawyers and of course, Menu Foods and the 200 Commercial Dog Food Companies who are still in business.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Hey Lynne,
Unfortunately, you are right - nothing can ever bring Magic back.

We have never met face-to-face but I think I 'know' you well enough to say that this is not about the money. It is about justice for Magic, you, your family and all the other families that have suffered! Justice will prevail if our government starts taking pet food manufacturing as seriously as they take baby food products and put some federal regulations in place. Maybe then this horrible nightmare might be easier to live with.

I truly am so sorry you have to go through this over and over again.

Adrianne

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Thanks, Adrianne, you are exactly right, it was never about the money, but I would have like to see some of these companies at least suffer half as much as we did.

My family decided months ago that whatever we get out of this, it will be donated in Magic's name to a special charity that I give my donation dollars to. I wish it were 9 million instead of 9 hundred so that other dogs can be saved and these companies would REALLY feel it.

[Adrianne Matzkin]

Unfortunately, they could only really feel it if it happens to them - then things would change. I wouldn't wish this on any pup or family but......

[Maryann,Roo and Tigger]

Oh, Lynne Nothing can ever replace a much loved dog like Magic. I am so sorry that this is just like dragging the pain around with you. Why is a money value always placed on things that are not monetary. The people who knew this was going on should pay a real penalty for their greed. My heart goes out to you.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

This story goes on and on and the more you read up on this the more mad you get. Just last week I discovered that the CFO of Menu Foods sold most of his shares in the company 3 weeks before the recall. So that tells you that they KNEW before they told the public. Three weeks before he did this so I'm sure they knew even before that. The people who knew about this paid NO penalty.