April 1 Deadline to File Claims for Dogs Sickened by Certain Jerky Treats

Did your dog get sick (or worse) after eating Canyon Creek Ranch or Waggin’ Train jerky treats?

In May 2014, Nestlé Purina Petcare Company and Waggin’ Train LLC agreed to pay $6.5 million to the pet parents of dogs who were sickened or died after eating jerky treats that were manufactured in China.

The deadline to file a claim is April 1, 2015.

A two-page list of the products can be found here. For each of your pets who became ill after consuming one of the products, you may be reimbursed up to 100 percent of certain economic damages (such as vet bills and the purchase price of the product), if you provide documentation. You may also receive up to $300 per pet for economic damage for which you do not have documentation.

For more information and to file a claim, visit Dog Treat Product Settlement.

The U.S. District Court is scheduled to hold a final approval hearing on June 23 to determine whether the proposed settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate.

Neither Nestlé Purina Petcare Company or Waggin’ Train LLC admitted fault in the settlement. The agreement requires Nestlé Purina “to undertake enhanced quality assurance measures and modify certain language on its packaging,” according to a press release.

Since 2007, the FDA has warned pet parents about illnesses in dogs who ate jerky treats made in China. The symptoms include kidney failure and gastrointestinal problems. After all this time, the FDA has still not determined what has caused the illnesses. This year both Petco and PetSmart finally stopped selling pet treats manufactured in China.

Nestlé Purina is currently facing another major class-action lawsuit claiming that thousands of dogs got sick or died after eating Beneful dry dog food. In a statement on its Beneful website, the company called the lawsuit “baseless” and blamed social media for spreading “false information.”

Because of this most recent lawsuit, two U.S. senators have asked the FDA to investigate the claim and provide updates about measures being taken to prevent the contamination of pet food.

Photo credit: Parker Knight