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A new class action lawsuit alleges that Big Heart Pet Brands Gravy Train dog food is contaminated with pentobarbital, a barbiturate drug.
Lead plaintiff, Maclain Mullins, alleges in his class action lawsuit that several varieties of Gravy Train dog food produced by Big Heart Pet Brands contains the drug.
Pentobarbital, alleges the plaintiff, is a sedative and anesthetic for animals and commonly used to euthanize cats and dogs.
Mullins says the chemical makes its way into the dog food because Big Heart likely uses animals that were euthanized to make the product.
The Gravy Train dog food class action lawsuit alleges that Big Heart hid this from consumers and advertised their dog food as high quality and safe to feed to pets multiple times each day.
“Pentobarbital from euthanized animals survives the rendering process and could be present in the rendered feed ingredients used in pet food,” alleges the Gravy Train class action lawsuit.
Mullins alleges that the Food and Drug Administration has prohibited the use of animals that have been euthanized because pentobarbital remains in the final product.
“The FDA’s testing of dry dog food confirmed some samples contained pentobarbital,” alleges the Gravy Train class action lawsuit. “The FDA concluded that pentobarbital was entering pet foods from euthanized, rendered cattle or horses because of the lack of dog and cat DNA.”
According to the Gravy Train dog food class action lawsuit, the FDA fails to enforce laws restricting the use of animals euthanized with pentobarbital in pet food products. The plaintiff says that Big Heart depends on that failure to use euthanized animals in its products.
Mullins also alleges that Big Heart falsely advertises its Gravy Train products as subject to a strict oversight and approval process.
“Defendant’s advertising campaign is deceptive…because there was no label or warning indicating to consumers that these products contained any level of Pentobarbital or that Defendant utilized animals that have been euthanized as a protein or meat by-product source,” argues the plaintiff.
The pet food class action lawsuit alleges that reasonable consumers, like the plaintiff, would not suspect that a euthanizing drug would be contained in Big Heart Gravy Train dog foods.
“Nondisclosure and concealment of any level of Pentobarbital or utilization of animals that have been euthanized as a protein or meat by-product source in the Contaminated Dog Foods coupled with the partial disclosures and/or misrepresentations that the food is pure, quality, healthy and safe by Defendant is intended to and does, in fact, cause consumers to purchase a product Plaintiff and Class members would not have bought if the true quality and ingredients were disclosed, including that the fact the Contaminated Dog Foods are adulterated,” alleges the Gravy Train class action.
According to the class action lawsuit, the contaminated dog food allegedly includes Big Heart Brand Gravy Train Chunks in Gravy with Beef Chunks, Gravy Train Chunks in Gravy with T-Bone Flavor Chunks, Gravy Train Chunks in Gravy with Chicken Chunks, Gravy Train Strips in Gravy Beef Strips and Gravy Train With Lamb & Rice Chunks.
The plaintiff seeks to represent a Class of consumers who purchased Big Heart Gravy Train dog food that allegedly contains pentobarbital. He is seeking damages as well as an order stopping Big Heart from advertising their products as “healthy, pure, quality and safe for consumption.”
Mullins is represented by attorneys from Lockridge Grindal Nauen PLLP, Robbins Arroyo LLP, Gustafson Gluek PLLC, Cuneo Gilbert & LaDuca LLP, and Lite DePalma Greenberg LLC.
The Gravy Train Contaminated Dog Food Class Action Lawsuit is Mullins v. Big Heart Pet Brands Inc., Case No. 3:18-cv-00861-LB, in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco Division.
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124 thoughts onGravy Train Dog Food Contaminated, Class Action Claims
I would like to be included in this. I fed this brand to my dog and now she has been having seizures at least twice a month since last year
I need to be included in this lawsuit because my do started having seizures as a result of being fed this brand of wet food. She was a perfectly healthy dog until last year, and now she has seizures at least 2 or more times a month
Please include me in this lawsuit as I have purchased this brand for my dog.
I too have gotten all of those canned flavors for my dog, Misfit, who is a big breed and has a healthy appetite. But wouldn’t eat all her food and just seemed off from her normal happy, energetic self. She would sniff and leave it and I thought she was just being picky! I should’ve listened to her. PLEASE INCLUDE ME.
I am concern, I bought a bag of Gravy Train Beefy Classic. Distribution Big Heart Pet Brands Inc. San Francisco, CA, 94111 Exp. JUN 04 2019 7844807091750. My dog throw’s it up and I am very concerned for her welfare.
How do i get involved in this lawsuit. I have gravy train in my kitchen now. I have fed this to my puppy in the past and am throwing away the case i have now. I want to be involved in this
Scan your reciept and photgraph the product before you dispose of it.
Add me please.i purchase this for my dog over a year in half.
My dog died afterceating this food. I thought it was strange a 3yr old l. Got sick and died
I thought my dog was getting something nutritious what a shocker
This is really heartbreaking and I thought that I was giving my pet a good wholesome diet. Totally awful
they feed us humans “dog food” every day, no need to be surprised