Animal Law
Pet Food Suits Near Settlement
Posted Mar 10, 2008, 07:05 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Consolidated lawsuits against a distributor of contaminated pet food are nearing settlement.
Lawyers on both sides of the case told the New Jersey Law Journal that a settlement could be reached within a few weeks. The suits were consolidated in New Jersey federal court.
The suits say at least 3,730 pets died after eating pet food that contained toxic melamine, a contaminant in flour that had been imported from China. Canadian company Menu Foods Inc. recalled 60 million containers of 90 brands of pet food early last year after its tests found a problem.
Some of the suits had sought recovery for the pet owners' emotional distress.