Whitebridge Class Action Says Pet Products Not ‘Made in USA’

Whitebridge Pet Brands LLC mislabels its Cloud Star and Wag More Bark Less pet treats as “Made in USA” even though certain ingredients are sourced from foreign countries, according to a class action lawsuit filed last month in California federal court.

Plaintiff Stephanie Marracco says she has fed her dogs Whitebridge treats for several years. Because her dogs have significant health and diet problems, Marracco says she is very picky about the food and treats she purchases.

According to the Whitebridge class action lawsuit, Marracco purchased many products under the Cloud Star and Wag More Bark Less brands, which are produced by Whitebridge.

All of the products were allegedly labeled with an American flag and the phrase “Made in USA.”

Marracco claims she made the decision to purchase the Cloud Star and Wag More Bark Less products after seeing the “Made in the USA” representation on the label.

According to the Wag More Bark Less class action lawsuit, she chose to purchase these products because she is concerned about the source of the ingredients in the foods she feeds her pets.

Marracco says that she wants to purchase Whitebridge dog treats in the future because of the dietary restrictions her dogs Rex and Rocco face, but she is concerned about the foreign-sourced ingredients and no longer trusts the company because of its false country-of-origin representations.

The dog treat class action lawsuit specifically states that the tapioca starch in Whitebridge products comes from foreign sources.

Further, the value of the product Marracco received was less the amount she paid because the “Made in USA” label was a false representation, according to the dog treat class action lawsuit.

“The buying public’s preference for pet foods and treats that are made exclusively in the United States stems in part from the widely-publicized and widespread recall of pet foods in 2007, when hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of dogs and cats died of kidney failure after eating pet food that contained a toxic chemical called melamine,” the dog treat class action lawsuit says.

“This ingredient was placed in the pet food at manufacturing facilities in China and was mislabeled as ‘wheat gluten’ or ‘rice protein,’” the Whitebridge class action lawsuit continues. “This increased consumer’s preference for both fully American-made pet food and treats and grain-free pet food and treats.”

Marracco asserts that many consumers rely on the “Made in USA” label on Whitebridge pet products because they desire to feed their pets foods that not foreign-sourced.

Even consumers who are aware that Whitebridge pet treats contain foreign-sourced ingredients cannot purchase the products because of the potential dangers associated with the foreign-sourced ingredients, or they cannot know which of the products with the “Made in USA” label actually contain foreign ingredients, the dog treat class action lawsuit states.

The dog treat class action lawsuit accuses Whitebridge of violating California’s Unfair Competition Law and Consumers Legal Remedies Act.

Marracco is represented by Eustace De Saint Phalle and Joseph R. Lucia of Rains Lucia Stern PC and Dargan Ware of Davis & Norris LLP.

The Whitebridge “Made in USA” Pet Products Class Action Lawsuit is Stephanie Marracco v. Whitebridge Pet Brands LLC, et al., Case No. 2:16-cv-04009-FMO-AJW, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.