Courtney Jorstad  |  February 11, 2015

Category: Consumer News

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Purina-BenefulNestle Purina Petcare Company was hit with a class action lawsuit alleging that its Beneful dog food includes toxic substances which are capable of killing dogs.

According to the Beneful class action lawsuit filed in a California federal court by plaintiff Frank Lucido on Feb. 5, Beneful is responsible for making thousands of dogs either seriously ill or causing them to die, which happened to one of his own dogs.

Lucido owned three dogs — a German Shepherd, an English Bulldog and a Labrador. He bought a bag of Beneful for the first time in late December 2014 or early January 2015 and each dog began eating Beneful exclusively, the Beneful class action lawsuit explains.

On Jan. 15, the German Shepherd began to lose a large amount of hair and began giving off a unusual odor, which concerned Lucido and his wife, who first started to notice the symptoms. Two days later the German Shepherd became “violently ill.”

After being examined by a veterinarian, it was determined that the German Shepherd was suffering from internal bleeding in the dog’s stomach and the liver was also malfunctioning, which the veterinarian said was “consistent with poisoning.”

On Jan. 23, Lucido’s wife found the English Bulldog dead in their yard. “Post-mortem veterinary examination revealed signs of internal bleeding in the dog’s stomach and lesions on his liver, much like [the German Shepherd],” the class action lawsuit claims.

The Labrador also became ill and is being tested for similar problems.

Lucido claims that he and his wife “have suffered economic losses including the purchase price of Beneful and veterinary and related medical expenses” as result of the damage Beneful has done to their dogs.

According to the Beneful class action lawsuit, there have been more than 3,000 complaints posted by dog owners on the internet “about dogs becoming ill, in many cases very seriously ill, and/or dying after eating Beneful.

“The dogs show consistent symptoms, including stomach and related internal bleeding, liver malfunction or failure, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, weight loss, seizures, bloating, and kidney failure,” the Beneful toxic dog food class action lawsuit alleges.

Lucido gives several examples of these complaints by other dog owners.

According to Lucido, Beneful is advertised as a healthful and nutritional dog food, but his experience and others has been the opposite.

Beneful dog foods allegedly include propylene glycol, which is “an automotive component that is a known animal toxin and is poisonous to cats and dogs.”

In addition, the Beneful class action lawsuit alleges that the dog food includes mycotoxins, which are “a group of toxins produced by fungus that occurs in grains, which are a principle ingredient in Beneful.”

The class action lawsuit cites the Association for Truth In Pet Food, which tested “Beneful Original and found that it contained dangerous levels of mycotoxins.”

Lucido is looking to represent two classes — a nationwide class and a California subclass for dog owners “who purchased Beneful dog food in the past four years and who incurred any out of pocket costs due to illness, injury or death of their dog resulting from the ingestion of Beneful.”

The Beneful toxic dog food class action lawsuit is charging Nestle Purina with breach of implied warranty, breach of express warranty, negligence, negligent misrepresentation, strict products liability, violating California’s consumer legal remedies act, violating California’s Unfair Competition Law, and violating California’s False Advertising Law.

The plaintiff is represented by Jeffrey B. Cereghino of Ram, Olson, Cereghino & Kopcyzynski, by John Yanchunis of Morgan & Morgan Complex Litigation Group, by Karl Molineux of Merrill, Nomura & Molineux, and by Donna F. Solen of Kimbrell Kimbrell & Solen LLC.

The Beneful Toxic Dog Food Class Action Lawsuit is Frank Lucido v. Nesltle Purina Petcare Company, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.

UPDATE: On Nov. 17, 2016, U.S. District Judge Edward Chen granted summary judgment to Purina, rejecting testimony from the plaintiffs’ expert that suggested Beneful dog food was the direct cause of their dogs’ illnesses or deaths.

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448 thoughts onPurina Beneful Dog Food Kills Dogs, Class Action Says

  1. Paul R. Williams says:

    this dog food killed my pomm, she was just nine years old, she bled to death and i could do nothing, you purina are responsible. all my dogs were on cesur, we tried Lilly on benefuls 2 two days later she died. how do i get on this lawsuite ?? they need to pay for this BIG Time

  2. Silvana Medina says:

    I never received anything from this case
    You don’t understand I hurt I feel you only care about money no empathy that’s disgusting

  3. Regina K Autrey says:

    Add me to suit please. My dog ate this for about 5 months and became very sick

    1. Silvana Medina says:

      How is your dog doing? I am totally devastated I lost my two babies and mine Jake Emma passed on December 3, 2021 and her brother Jake passed on February 3, 2022 I’m still grieving they past three months apart and Jake I just started having seizures it was horrible tears falling down as I’m typing this it’s unimaginable so much hurt that I’m feeling right now to lose 2 precious pets that I loved so much and they loved me back it was so good they were my life actually they saved my life many times!! always loyal always there for me no matter 😭🥲.
      I don’t care about the money I just want my babies back please I know that’s not possible anyhow good luck to everyone hug your babies tonight real tight

  4. Silvana Medina says:

    Any updated with this case? I’m still suffering and I miss my 2 dogs so much I’m broken.

  5. Silvana Medina says:

    OMG! I started feeding my very healthy 8 year old pet Jake Beneful Thinking it was good for him. Glad I came across this article my dog out of no where was having Grand Mal
    Seizures and loosing weight and had a foul odor unfortunately I had to put him down! He was my baby I’m totally devastated why?? I HATE BIG COMPANIES THAT ONLY CARE ABOUT MONEY!!!! I LOST MY JAKE ???. Please add me thank you. And why is this food still selling?

  6. Heather says:

    I have lost 2 dogs which am absolutely convinced it was from benniful inncredibites food. These incidents have severely affected my well being and find myself lost without them. I thought that I was feeding them good food and both developed diabetes one passed, and my harley had to be put down he wouldn’t eat, couldn’t walk, went from my happy best buddy who helped me with the sudden loss of my dad to being gone several months later. Tge manufacturers need to pay for their dishonesty.

  7. Heather hensley says:

    I have lost 2 dogs which am absolutely convinced it was from benniful inncredibites food. These incidents have severely affected my well being and find myself lost without them. I thought that I was feeding them good food and both developed diabetes one passed, and my harley had to be put down he wouldn’t eat, couldn’t walk, went from my happy best buddy who helped me with the sudden loss of my dad to being gone several months later. Tge manufacturers need to pay for their dishonesty.

  8. Heather hensley says:

    I have lost 2 dogs which am absolutely convinced it was from benniful inncredibites food. These incidents have severely affected my well being and find myself lost without them. I thought that I was feeding them good food and both developed diabetes one passed, and my harley had to be put down he wouldn’t eat, couldn’t walk, went from my happy best buddy who helped me with the sudden loss of my dad to being gone several months later. Tge manufacturers need to pay for their dishonesty

  9. Melissa says:

    I have six dogs that are sick right now I fed them a a serving last night then they went to bed and I was woken to all of my dogs throwing up all night long I had to make sure they didn’t eat it cuz they were quick to do that as they are young dogs five of them are the one is the mother that is older she is two and a half they are about a year I’m so worried that all my dogs are going to die I had no clue this dog food would be be so harmful I’m usually feeding them blue diamonds and since covid it’s been really hard for us our family has been struggling last night we picked up a small bag of this food until we could afford to get their regular food they have been throwing up all night and day I’m very very worried for my family cuz they are my family what should I do I don’t know what to do if my son loses his dog because of this food one feeding of it and there are sick as dogs this is ridiculous how are they selling this food on the shelves what do I do?? Somebody please help any advice please please

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