For all of you who still need to understand how rescue retail works..... and it is NOT good.

Excellent concise presentation given by a veterinary diplomat.  This is not a newt hing, this is not a good thing. The Animal Rights Extremists are out for 1 thing and 1 thing only - the complete and utter annihilation of your rights to choose what kind of pet you can have or want and where you can get a pet from. Period.

Published on Aug 13, 2014

http://www.NAIAOnline.org
Dr. Arnold L. Goldman, DVM, MS, MPH
Update on US Dog Trafficking

http://youtu.be/WDupit8hMt4

Microchips and Privacy - the 2 do NOT go hand in hand!

http://www.thedogpress.com/Marketing-Microchips_C.Byer-151.asp


Please follow the link and read the article and understand the "big business" that is involved and as always - FOLLOW THE MONEY!

Current Lawsuits Against Blue Buffalo

We have posted previously about Blue Buffalo pet foods being highly suspicious. For a variety of reasons. But here is hte current article - http://www.poisonedpets.com/blue-buffalo-gets-slammed-by-a-shit-storm-of-consumer-lawsuits-based-on-deceptive-advertising-claims/

we have never used or recommended this particular food - so  please be aware.

Blue Buffalo gets slammed by a shit storm of new lawsuits

Nestlé Purina PetCare Company (Purina) aren’t the only people suing Blue Buffalo, now consumers have jumped on the litigation bandwagon and Blue Buffalo is getting slammed by a multitude of lawsuits alleging deceptive advertising practices. The growing number of lawsuits filed against Blue Buffalo keep growing and they are claiming, among other things, that the company falsely represented that their pet food does not contain ingredients – such as chicken/poultry by-product meals and corn – when it appears as if Blue Buffalo’s pet food might actually contain those ingredients.
Because of the number of class action lawsuits involved the U.S. Judicial Panel on Multi-District Litigation has agreed to consolidate seven false advertising class action lawsuits filed against Blue Buffalo Co. Ltd. for misleading customers about the ingredients in its pet food. They alleged that Blue Buffalo misled its customers by claiming its pet food products did not contain any chicken by-products, corn or grain and led them to pay premium prices for the pet food. The class-action lawsuit was transferred to another court where several related lawsuits making the same allegations will be heard together.

The smoking e-mails

It is safe to assume that Blue Buffalo was aware, at some point, that their pet food did contain the vilified ingredient they based their marketing claim on, when during pretrial discovery—the process by which litigants demand internal documents and communications that could become evidence—e-mails revealed that Purina claims reinforce its allegations. In May, e-mails between a Blue Buffalo ingredient broker (Diversified Ingredients) and a major supplier (Wilbur-Ellis) suggest strongly that they did indeed sell pet food containing by-product meal. In an e-mail to Diversified Ingredients, a broker working for Blue Buffalo, a sales manager for supplier Wilbur-Ellis wrote that it did include “some by-product meal” in shipments from a Texas plant intended for Blue Buffalo.
Realizing that the inclusion of by-product meal now has potential legal consequences, Diversified Ingredients expressed alarm to Wilbur-Ellis and a way to respond to the kibble crisis:

“I think if we work together, we can band-aid this situation,” Diversified’s Collin McAtee wrote on May 15 to Darwin Rusu of Wilbur-Ellis. Referring to a “smoking gun,” McAtee added, “If you are going to fill these contracts for any reason, then I’m going to have to go to Blue Buffalo to address the breach of contract and undoubtedly divulge the details of what was shipped and the possibility that Rosser’s material is the smoking gun for their problems. That I do not want to do. If the finger is pointed in that direction and then later verified to have been the cause, then Diversified and Wilbur will both have to answer to this in litigation with Blue. The liabilities in this could be enormous. You are talking about massive product recalls, potential market share loss, etc. That would undoubtedly be in the several million dollar range.”

Blue Buffalo then claimed they were duped by their supplier, by publicly revealing that contrary to prior assurances, Blue Buffalo admitted that ingredients from their supplier did in fact contain poultry by-product meal after all — proving that the central allegations in Purina’s false advertising lawsuit against them. Despite Blue Buffalo’s admission, no mention was made about taking steps to recall the mislabeled pet foods, nor to compensate the millions of consumers that purchased the falsely labeled products.

Voodoo science performed in a highly sophisticated lab

Purina claims that testing of Blue Buffalo’s pet food were conducted in a “highly sophisticated, independent lab“, while Blue Buffalo calls their testing “junk science” and claims the testing was performed with a rudimentary microscope under less than optimal conditions with questionable methods. Regardless, the results of testing and analysis reveal that, in some instances, 9 out of 10 Blue Buffalo products tested contained poultry by-product meal, even though the packaging indicated otherwise. Instead, tests indicated the products contained several signature elements of poultry by-product meal: eggshell, raw feather and leg scale. Further, that quantities of grain were found in samples of Blue Buffalo’s pet food that were labeled “grain-free.”
To learn more about each case, click on the case information below.

• Fisher et al v. The Blue Buffalo Company, Ltd. et al, Case No. 14-cv-5937, C. D. CA.
• Teperson et al v. The Blue Buffalo Company, Ltd et al, Case No. 14-cv-1682, S. D. CA.
• Delre et al v. Blue Buffalo Co., Ltd, Case No. 14-cv-768, D. CT.
• Renna et al v. Blue Buffalo Co., Ltd., Case No. 14-cv-833, D. CT.
• Mackenzie et al v. The Blue Buffalo Company, Ltd., Inc., Case No. 14-cv-80634, S. D. FL.
• Stone et al v. Blue Buffalo Company Ltd., Case No. 14-cv-520, S. D. IL.
• Keil et al v. Blue Buffalo Company, Ltd., Case No. 14-cv-880, E. D. MO.
• Hutchison et al v. Blue Buffalo Company, Ltd., Case No. 14-cv-1070, E. D. MO.
• Andacky et al v. The Blue Buffalo Company, Ltd., Case No. 14-cv-2938, E. D. NY.

SOURCE: U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation in re: Blue Buffalo Company, Ltd., Marketing and Sales Practices Litigation

Belated Merry Christmas

Sorry to be so so late - but it's been a busy holiday season for us with family and work.

We hope everyone had a beautiful Christmas Season and are heading towards a prosperous New Year!

HCM scans today

Couldnt be more pleased - Draco and his daughter Shelly were both screened today for HCM - and are clear. This is a first screening for Shelly and a 2nd for Draco. Sincerely want to thank Cindy Rogers for putting this together and Dr Paige for coming down from Flagstaff to continue his outstanding dedication.
This continues our dedication to healthy sturdy long lived lines - all HCM scanned clear and PKD scanned negative - beginning from Zoya who will be 10 soon , to Bella who is 7 1/2 , to Draco who is 3 1/2 and now Shelly who is 16 months.

RW GC Kenders Toujours Pur PKD Neg/HCM clear and daughter

CH Kender's It Can't Rain All The Time HCM clear.

Dakota and retired girl Anna Updates!

A Few quick brief kitty family updates!

From Carol , with Dakota --

Played fetch today. Kept track. 14 throws with 14 returns..... Favorite toy was used.

The three of us enjoyed chicken for dinner. In lap sound asleep.

Oh. Learned about yarn today. Not a toy in this house. 

Thanks for advice on tree.  I'll put up the prelit and see where we go from there. May only just put up tree this year.

And From Utah and Kristen ! --Such a darling girl - and I'm proud to join the crazy cat ladies with posts of our kitty. You know who you are! 

Recall of Natura Dry Cat

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm424607.htm

Recall -- Firm Press Release

FDA posts press releases and other notices of recalls and market withdrawals from the firms involved as a service to consumers, the media, and other interested parties. FDA does not endorse either the product or the company.

 

Natura Pet Recalls 5 Lots of Dry Cat and Dry Ferret Food due to Vitamin Insufficiency

Contact:
Consumer:
1-855-206-8297

Media:
Jason Taylor at 513-622-1017
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – November 24, 2014 – Fremont, Nebraska – Natura Pet Products has initiated a limited, voluntary recall of certain dry cat and dry ferret food lots produced in its Fremont, Nebraska facility. Due to a formulation error, these products contain insufficient levels of vitamins and excess minerals.
Pets can become ill if they lack vitamins for prolonged periods. Early signs of vitamin deficiency may include decreased appetite, lethargy, vomiting and weight loss. If treated promptly, vitamin deficiency can be successfully reversed. The presence of excess minerals in these products poses no health concern.
There have been no reports of animal health concerns to date, but these lots do not meet our quality standards and should not be consumed by pets. No other EVO® products or lots are affected by this issue.
The affected product and lot codes are:

PRODUCT	SIZE	UPC	EXP DATE	LOT CODE
EVO® Grain Free Turkey & Chicken Formula dry cat & kitten food	15.4 LB	5148 541400	02/19/2016	4300A700D2
EVO® Grain Free Turkey & Chicken Formula dry cat & kitten food	2.2 LB	5148 541402	02/20/2016	4301A700A4
EVO® Grain Free Turkey & Chicken Formula dry cat & kitten food	2.2 LB	5148 541402	02/20/2016	4301A700B4
EVO® Grain Free Turkey & Chicken Formula dry cat & kitten food	2.2 LB	5148 541402	02/20/2016	4301A700C4
EVO® Grain Free Ferret Food	6.6 LB	5148 542101	02/19/2016	4300A700D3

The problem was discovered during the investigation of an ingredient inventory discrepancy. Only these 5 lots are affected. These lots were distributed through independent retailers in CA, GA, MI, MN, NV, PA, TX, VT and Canada, as well as online. No other Natura products are affected.
Retailers have been contacted and are instructed to immediately withdraw these lots from store shelves. Consumers who purchased the product should discontinue feeding the product immediately and discard as normal household waste. We apologize for the inconvenience caused by this incident. We are taking immediate corrective action as a result of our investigation.
For more information, consumers can reach Natura Consumer Relations at 1-855-206-8297, Monday through Friday 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM EST or visit www.evopet.com.

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