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On Monday, a class action lawsuit accusing Blue Buffalo Pet Products Inc. of failing to disclose the presence of dangerous substances in its pet food products was filed in California federal court.
Plaintiff Vladi Zakinov of California claims he purchased Blue Buffalo dog food as the primary food source for his 4-year-old dog named Coco. According to the Blue Buffalo class action lawsuit, Coco experienced kidney disease and eventual kidney failure from consuming the contaminated dog food.
Blue Buffalo products named in the contaminated dog food class action lawsuit include Blue Wilderness Chicken Recipe for Small Breed Adult Dogs, Blue Freedom Grain-Free Chicken Recipe for Small Breed Adult Dogs, and Blue Basics Grain-Free Turkey & Potato Recipe for Adult Dogs.
According to the Blue Buffalo class action lawsuit, these dog food products contain significant levels of lead, a carcinogen that can cause serious health problems.
“Exposure to lead in food builds up over time,” the Blue Buffalo class action lawsuit says. “Buildup can and has been scientifically demonstrated to lead to the development of chronic poisoning, cancer, developmental, and reproductive disorders, as well as serious injuries to the nervous system, and other organs and body systems.”
Zakinov claims that Blue Buffalo advertised and sold dog food products without warning consumers that they contain lead, and that lead exposure over time can cause poisoning, injury and/or disease to occur.
On the contrary, Blue Buffalo advertises its products as healthy and safe, claiming the dog foods contain “a precise blend of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals selected by holistic veterinarians and animal nutritionists,” according to the Blue Buffalo class action lawsuit. The bags of dog food also allegedly declare the products to be “healthy” and “holistic.”
“Nothing could be further from the truth, as the Contaminated Dog Foods’ inclusion of an unsafe amount of lead creates a health hazard for dogs” the Blue Buffalo class action lawsuit says. Zakinov claims he spent a significant amount of money on Blue Buffalo dog food and on treatments for his dog Coco.
Zakinov asserts that a reasonable customer would not have any reason to expect the products contain lead because Blue Buffalo pet food is labeled as healthy and holistic. Based on these representations, consumers reasonably expect the dog food to be healthy and safe for their pets to consume over time. The plaintiff says he would not have purchased Blue Buffalo dog food if he had known the products contained an excessive amount of lead.
Zakinov filed the Blue Buffalo class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and a nationwide Class of consumers who purchased the allegedly contaminated Blue Buffalo dog food since July 1, 2013. He also seeks to represent a California subclass.
The Blue Buffalo class action lawsuit asserts claims for negligent misrepresentation, violations of California’s Consumer Legal Remedies Act, California’s False Advertising Law, California’s Unfair Competition Law, breach of express warranty, breach of implied warranty and negligence per se.
Zakinov is represented by Brian J. Robbins, Kevin A. Seely, Ashley R. Rifkin and Steven M. McKany of Robbins Arroyo LLP and by Rebecca A. Peterson and Robert K. Shelquist of Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP.
The Blue Buffalo Contaminated Dog Food Class Action Lawsuit is Vladi Zakinov v. Blue Buffalo Pet Products Inc., Case No. 3:17-cv-01301-AJB-WVG, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California.
UPDATE: The Blue Buffalo Contaminated Dog Food Class Action Lawsuit was dismissed on March 22, 2018.
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221 thoughts onBlue Buffalo Class Action Says Dog Food Is Contaminated with Lead
I fed my seven year old ShihTzu, Gus, Blue chicken dry for years. He became very ill, and was diagnosed with cancer. He had his spleen removed. I’m heartbroken that the food I thought was best for him might actually be killing him.
I have been feeding my pets blue buffalo for the last 14 years and I can’t keep them healthy and I thought it was the breed, being a Bassett hound, and my other breed, is a red bone coon hound. They have both gotten fatty cysts and both of my hounds have troubles with the liver and cancer. I have have records of buying the dog food for the last 14 years. Also all the vet bills to go with it. I should hire an attorney and go after this negligent company as well.
I’ve fed my 5 year old Australian Shepard Blue Buffalo Basics grain free turkey and potato. I thought I was feeding her a high quality food. I’m sick over this. I’m going to have to get her blood tested to see if there’s anything abnormal. I hope she’s not affected by this.
How do I join this lawsuit ?
I want to join this lawsuit too. I just lost my 4 year old Golden Retrieve in November. Blue Buffalo is all he ate since November 2013. He started having seizures and kept getting sicker and sicker until he literally could not pick himself up. We finally did the right thing and put him to sleep so he would no longer suffer. We still do not know what he died from. Just heard about this lawsuit. It’s making me wonder if this is the cause.
Blue Buffalo small breed chicken & brown rice is all I’ve ever fed my Gia & she is 4 now. I need to join this lawsuit- I am beyond upset.
How do I join this? All I have ever fed my pets is Blue Buffalo, and one died from kidney failure. One currently has elevated liver enzymes and kidney issues.
I would like to join this class action lawsuit as well. I fed my dog this dog food for years. In a January we had to put his m down as he became very sick. His blood count was off the charts and he started to have muscle spasm. I am very upset thinking to at the reason my dog got sick was from the food I was feeding him
I need to join this lawsuit also because Blue Wilderness is what I was feeding my dog until now. Ironically she got some strange infection as well and was treated by our vet.
How do we join the lawsuit?
I had been feeding my little Cache the dry and wet Blue Buffalo for 8 years. Several times through the years she’d suddenly have digestive issues. But they didn’t last long. We did have a month long bout with four vet visits. No one linked her food. A month ago she became severely ill and we almost lost her. Four thousand dollars later we found out she now has pancreatitis, gallbladder issues and possibly now Cushions disease. She is now on a prescription diet. Thoughts?
The case is still moving through the courts and has not yet reached a settlement. Claim forms are usually not made available to consumers until after a court approved settlement is reached. We recommend you sign up for a free account at TopClassActions.com and follow the case. We will update the article with any major case developments or settlement news! Setting up a free account with Top Class Actions will allow you to receive instant updates on ANY article that you ‘Follow’ on our website. A link to creating an account may be found here: https://topclassactions.com/signup/. You can then ‘Follow’ the article above, and get notified immediately when we post updates!
My 3 year old Labradoodle was just diagnosed with acute renal disease. We switched to Blue Buffalo just 2 large bags of dog food ago. Her blood work recently showed off the charts high levels in several areas. I still have a little of the dog food. How do I get it tested? I’m praying her kidney disease is reversible.