Vitalife Sells Re-packaged Stale, and Moldy Dog Treats

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/normerica-repackaged-re-dated-stale-...

This article is really upsetting. it doesn't surprise me though. I bet lots of unethical pet food companies think they can save money this way because the humans would never know and the dogs seem to still eat them.  I wonder if this is connected to why dogs are dying of jerky treats. 

It makes me wonder, given that the treats are tested and found to have nothing on them but poultry, is it possible that the chicken itself was old and rotten before being dehydrated to make the treats? I'm wondering if that is a reason why dogs are getting sick from jerky treats from China.

[Tracey & Spike]

I was going to post this this morning as well. You beat me to it :)

This whole issue makes me sick. Why aren't pet food manufacturers held to the same (or higher.....) standards as human food manufacturers. I'm all for the pet industry being even stricter. The animals can't talk. They can't tell us when something upsets their stomachs. It's up to US as humans to do what's best for them.

I had issues like many here with the tainted food/recalls in the past. I never ever, EVER want to go through it again. Nor do I want to see anyone else suffer because of a companies negligence and complete disregard for our four legged family.. yes I said it.. FAMILY members.

All of us here on DK are well aware of the dangers of using un safe, un North American food. We are in the know. But soooo many pet owners are still ignorant of the dangers. I blew the mind of a pet store employee when I turned down Zukes treats which were on sale and opted for the more expensive Old Mother Hubbard, Cloud Star and Fruitables treats. She could not comprehend why I wouldn't buy anything made from "the big reputable companies"

I can't tell you how happy I am that CBC is getting the news out there. This is the second story they've done in a week.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/costco-keeps-selling-treats-f...

Petstupid has been "trying" to come out as hero's stating that they are going to "phase" them out. They wont stop selling them however until 2015!!!!!! Grrr...... Good move on their part but much, much, much too late. How many more dogs need to get sick????

[F, Calla & Luca]

This was on the main page, I think, yesterday. Shameful.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Yes, it was on the main page yesterday, and it's one of the reasons for the existence of this group. Members of this group have or have had pets who died or were made permanently ill from food & treats that contained ingredients from China. If nobody gets anything else from our information here, I hope that at least everyone will "get" that you just cannot buy edible products for your dog in big box stores, discount stores, etc., and that you have to know how to check sourcing. This information is just not available on review sites, rating sites, etc. 

Part of the problem is that these are not "pet food" manufacturers, they are huge corporations who happen to make pet food along with many other types of products, and whose interest is only $$$$.

Again, I urge...no, make that beg, everyone to read Pet Food Politics by Marion Nestle if you have not already done so. I am sure it is available on any e-reader or at your local library. It is a fast, easy read and Nestle is an excellent writer to manages to make the material interesting and even humorous in a very dry way. Please do your current and future pets the favor of educating yourself on this topic.

In the 2007 recalls. it took an unreasonably long time to discover why thousands of pets were getting sick and dying, because of the chemical nature of the substance responsible, melamine.  The same kind of thing may be happening here, and who is working very hard researching and spending lots of money to discover the cause? Not the companies who make the stuff, that's for sure. And not any government agency, at least not in the way it should be researched. 

READ THE BOOK.

[Sherri, Sophie, Winston, & Kitty]

I bought the book but haven't had the chance to read it yet. It's definitely on my to do list.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Good. Maybe you can move it up higher on the list, lol. It's really a very fast read.

[Shari Becker]

It's too horrifying. As a Canadian, I always thought the food system / the rules and regulations were worse in the US than in Canada. Over the year, I've been so discouraged to learn that it's just as bad there. Friends totally roll their eyes at me when I say I feed Lexi table scraps or homemade dog treats. (We froze leftover shredded stewing meat this week to use as high value treats.) But seriously, at least I know what she is eating. She is just as happy with a piece of apple or a blueberry as she is with a store bought dog biscuit. Sometimes I think her sensitive stomach is a blessing in disguise. We are so limited in what she can eat that we tend to use what we have in our fridge.  (Of course, we still have our 10 bags of Zuke's that we bought on sale when we heard they were selling out.)

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

There are still a lot of good commercial treat options out there, just stick to the brands on our list and do a little exploring on their websites. But there's nothing wrong with giving fresh "people" foods, either.

[Allyson, Peri & Taquito]

Exactly. I give my two spoiled-rotten brats (kidding) animal crackers (organic from Trader J's) - sometimes the human toddler asks for them to make Peri "sit" and then ends up eating it lol!  They also get apples, blueberries, watermelon, pears, bananas and carrots.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

And Canada does have better food laws than the US in many regards. :) 

But much of this problem has to do with the "global economy" and the way business is done these days. It has more to do with the bottom line than the law.