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A New York woman says Kibbles ‘n Bits dog food contains dangerous pentobarbital, echoing similar claims recently filed over other dog food brands.
According to plaintiff Rosemarie Schirripa, a recent investigation concluded that Kibbles ‘n Bits dog food contains pentobarbital, a sedative drug that is now most frequently used to euthanize dogs and cats.
She accuses defendants Big Heart Pet Brands and The J.M. Smucker Co. of failing to alert consumers to the pentobarbital content in Kibbles ‘n Bits dog food.
Schirripa says ingestion of pentobarbital by a pet can cause many adverse side effects. She claims that pets may suffer from vomiting, salivation, stool changes, decreased appetite, lethargy or depression, neurologic abnormalities, difficulty walking, and possibly even coma or death.
No amount of pentobarbital in dog food is small enough to be considered “safe,” according to this Kibbles ‘n Bits class action lawsuit. Any presence of pentobarbital in dog food makes that food adulterated, Schirripa claims.
Schirripa says the pentobarbital allegedly found in Kibbles ‘n Bits is present in the product’s meat ingredients. The meat was allegedly sourced from animals that were euthanized using pentobarbital, she claims.
“Pentobarbital is routinely used to euthanize animals, and the most likely way it could get into dog food would be in rendered animal products,” according to this Kibbles ‘n Bits class action lawsuit. “Rendered products come from a process that converts animal tissues to feed ingredients, including tissues from animals that have been euthanized, decomposed or were diseased.”
Pentobarbital used to euthanize these animals allegedly survives the rendering process, Schirripa says, and it can show up in the final dog food product.
Schirripa says in February 2018, television station WJLA reported that an independent investigation revealed pentobarbital in Kibbles ‘n Bits dog food. The investigation ran over seven months and was conducted using two different labs.
Yet the labeling for Kibbles ‘n Bits dog food shows no indication that it is tainted with pentobarbital, Schirripa says. On the contrary, photos of the labeling included in her complaint show it bears indications like “100 percent complete and balanced nutrition” and other assurances of high-quality nutrition.
This Kibbles ‘n Bits class action lawsuit comes shortly after three other actions raised similar claims over Gravy Train dog food, also made by defendant Big Heart Pet Brands. In one of those actions, plaintiff Nancy Sturm complains of a lack of regulation of the use of euthanized animals in pet food, as opposed to animals raised and slaughtered for their meat.
Schirripa proposes to bring her claims on behalf of a statewide plaintiff Class that would include all New York state residents who from Feb. 1, 2012 through the present purchased the Kibbles ‘n Bits dog food at issue for their own household or business use and not for resale.
She seeks a court order barring the defendants from selling any more Kibbles ‘n Bits dog food until it is free from pentobarbital and from continuing to market its dog food as “healthy, pure, quality, and safe for consumption.” She also seeks awards of damages, restitution and disgorgement, plus reimbursement of court costs and attorneys’ fees.
Schirripa is represented by attorneys Paul B. Maslo and Salvatore C. Badala of Napoli Shkolnik PLLC and by Anne Andrews of Andrews & Thornton.
The Kibbles ‘n Bits Contaminated Dog Food Class Action Lawsuit is Schirripa v. Big Heart Pet Brands Inc., et al., Case No. 1:18-cv-02345, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
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421 thoughts onKibbles ‘n Bits Dog Food Contains Euthanasia Drug, Class Action Claims
Add me. I am so upset. I have fed my 80 lb Labrador kibbles and bits for over a year then he quit eating. I switched to Gravy train to see if I could get him to eat his dog food again. Several weeks after this, he was in so much pain and didn’t want to move. I got him to the vet who took blood samples and cane back And told me that he had liver damage so bad that I had to put him down. I lost my best friend and companion.
How do you become part of this lawsuit. Our German Shepard just became really ill. Is @ the dog hospital as we speak from having seizures. SMH why is this stuff still on selves & being sold!?
My Dog Kobi also had Seizures amd I blame Myself for them for feeding Him that crap?
This just recently happened to my family. My mom bought kibbles and bits for her 15 yr old dog. All of a sudden he wasn’t eating and acting sick. She took him to vet and they said it was pancreatitis and give him a bland diet until he got better then let him go back on his food. When he went back on his food he died within a day. My mom not suspecting the food. Gave me what was left. I fed it to my 70lb healthy 6yr old dog. He started puking slimy white foam and died within 24 hrs. This recall happened years ago but it’s still on shelves! we now know it was the food!
I would like to be added to this lawsuit as well. I had 2 black labs that died after eating this food for 8 months. One went into liver failure and the other kidney failure less than a month apart. They were only seven years old and never went outside with out being watched. we had to pay almost $4,000 in vet bills trying to save our family pet.
My dog has severe food allergies and he was fed kibbles and bits for years he is now on royal canin would like to be part of the class action lawsuit I almost lost my dog
I have fed my lab kibbles and bits , and for the past week I’ve noticed she had really bad loose stools, so lots of calls to the vet, diarrhea pills, labs, etc she wasn’t getting better every time I fed her it was like water coming out of her. I switched dogfood and guess what my dog is great no more loose stools, I also remember in past when she would eat her food she would throw up. I have a friend that is going through the same thing as me with her dog. This food is terrible if I wouldn’t have figured it out I would have lost my dog very sad something like this is in the store and alit of people are buying it and giving it to their dog and the dog is getting sick and they don’t realize it’s from this food they might think it’s a health issue or etç so sad
PLEASE STOP FEEDING YOUR DOGS ANY OF THESE FOODS!!!!!! WET FOOD IS THE ONE THAT KILLED MY DOG
How do i become a part of this Kibbles and Bits lawsuit? My dog became ill, the vet thought it was going to have to be put to sleep. This was about a month before the news broke, back in 2017 about the kibbles and bits, I even have on the forms from the vet that my dog was fed Kibbles and Bits daily, the dog became unable to walk, lethargic, seemed to have neurological issues. Vet put it on antibiotics, pain meds, cortisone, the list goes on…it ended up being completely well after a couple weeks of the meds and a food change. About two weeks later is when I heard all this about the Kibbles and Bits, I 100% believe that was the problem and would like reimbursed for my vet bills!
Please add me too, had the same issues, that other owners have had, with our dog, and he passed away also! Our new dogs get sick everytime they eat any kibbles and bits, gravy train, and Bella, now I wonder about the other dog food?
this food killed my abostly healthy Dog he would get into a Snickers bar after giving him prooxide he was Fine!! and then it ended up being “dog food “ that paralized him and costed us hundreds just to get some pain meds for the Moment because there was nothing else we Could donfor them one was 2 months a baby girl Pom. And the other was a chiuha mix . he was 11 months. They fought there hardest i hate this brand and forever will aware people about it Untill It gets stopped I want Our Dogs back which cant happen But needs to be issued and dealed with. We need our backpay this is enough. u dont care about dogs or animals u jist want the money horrible compant I came home and saw my dogs In there area Litteraly SLUMPED into the Cracks trying to atand back Up crying and whining because they were scared and Fought so hard and ended with bills and No dogs. Thanks alot. Horrible “food” company .
My dog died from this food too how do we get involved in this lawsuit?
Our dog died we want to get involved and sue those responsible for his horrific premature DEATH of our beautiful dog Max
We used to give our 2 Jack Russells KIbbles N Bits for small breeds. They ate it for at least 2 years. Both dogs died of unknown reasons within 24 hours of each other. We had just bought a new bag of Kibbles N Bits a few days prior – I know this because I gave the dog food away after they both passed away not knowing this was likely the reason 2 healthy, energetic, young dogs died back to back. The veterinarian could not find a reason for either dogs death and was left guessing they “got into something.” They have a fenced in yard – nothing had changed in the 6 years we have lived here and they certainly weren’t the type of dogs to just eat random things.
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