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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>cle<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Lawsuit claims Purina Beneful dry 'kibble' dog food is killing dogs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Pat LaFleur,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>John Matarese<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>9:41 AM, Feb 24, 2015<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>51 mins ago<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Creative Commons Flickr user Sh4rp_i<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Show Caption<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>CINCINNATI - A recent lawsuit claims Purina’s popular Beneful brand is hurting and killing pets.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>More than 3,000 online complaints have been filed by dog-owners claiming Purina Petcare Beneful’s dry “kibble” variety is killing and hurting dogs, according<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>to the class action lawsuit filed Feb. 5 in federal court.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The brand is still on store shelves in the Tri-State area (Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana) and has not been recalled.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>This class action suit concerns "kibble" dry food, which includes "Purina Beneful Health Weight"; "Purina Beneful Original"; "Purina Beneful Incredibites,"<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and "Purina Beneful Healthy Growth for Puppies", "Purina Beneful Healthy Smile", "Purina Beneful Health Fiesta", "Purina Beneful Healthy Radiance", and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"Purina Beneful Playful Life" varieties. The packaging used for these foods make the following claims, the suit claims:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• "Satisfaction Guaranteed. If you're not happy, we're not happy. Complete satisfaction or your money back..."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• "At Purina, we're unconditionally devoted to pets. We've dedicated over 80 years to developing the high-quality products that satisfy the needs of dogs<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>and cats."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• "100% Complete and Balanced Nutrition"<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• Yes, dogs can have it all -- and should! How? A special blend of wholesome ingredients, including grains, real beef, and accents of vitamin-rich veggies!<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>It gives dogs the complete nutrition they need and a taste they love." (Beneful Original)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• "Made with wholesome rice, real chicken, soy, and accented with veggies and apples, it has the complete nutrition adult dogs need..." (Beneful Healthy<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Weight)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• "With real chicken, wholesome rice, and accents of vitamin-rich veggies, it has the complete nutrition puppies need..." (Beneful Healthy Growth for Puppies)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>• "When your puppy is grown, Beneful has so many delicious ways to help keep him healthy and happy." (Beneful Healthy Growth for Puppies)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The lawsuit lists stomach and related internal bleeding, liver malfunction or failure, vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, weight loss, seizures, bloat and<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>kidney failure as symptoms consistently reported by dog-owners feeding their dogs Beneful, which is owned by Nestlé Purina Petcare Company.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>10News Scripps sister station WCPO contacted Nestlé Purina Petcare Company for response to this suit. A spokesperson could not comment immediately as of<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Tuesday afternoon. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Frank Lucido, who claimed in the suit that after purchasing a bag of Beneful for the first time in late December, all<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>three of his dogs began falling ill with stomach and liver symptoms. He said he fed them only Beneful for less than a month.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Dozer, Lucido’s English bulldog, ultimately died after beginning to show signs of internal bleeding in his stomach and lesions on his liver, the lawsuit<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>states.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Lucido’s German Shepherd Nella has shown similar symptoms and his third dog, a Labrador named Remo, has also been unwell and is currently undergoing testing,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>according to the suit.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Lucido claims these illnesses, and similar illnesses of other dogs that have become sick and/or died after eating Beneful, were caused by toxic substances<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>found in the food.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Attorney James Young, of Morgan & Morgan out of Tampa, Florida, is one of the lawyers filing the suit, and he spoke with WCPO via Skype Tuesday afternoon.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Young said, "We received hundreds of complaints. Nationally, there have been thousands of complaints about dogs who have eaten this dog food by Purina<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Beneful and suffered very serious side effects, including death."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>"The issues are pretty similar across the board," he said, "liver and kidney problems, which results in diarrhea, bloody stool, vomiting, and secondary<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>harm."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Specifically, the suit lists the automotive antifreeze component propylene glycol as a primary ingredient in Beneful’s dog food.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Propylene glycol, a substance the suit says is toxic to cats and dogs, may be included in Beneful’s ingredients list because it helps retain the food’s<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>moisture, according to the suit.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Propylene glycol is a familiar ingredient in food safety cases. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Fireball Whisky was recalled<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> in Finland, Sweden, and Norway last October for what some claimed were dangerous levels of the chemical in the product. No recall of the whisky was made<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>in the U.S.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>RELATED: <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Fireball: "All forumlas absolutely safe to drink"<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>In <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>an article posted to Daily Beast<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> Tuesday, a Nestlé Purina spokesperson said, "We believe the lawsuit is without merit, and we intend to vigorously defend ourselves. Beneful is a high-quality,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>nutritious food enjoyed by millions of dogs each year, and there are no product quality issues with Beneful."<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>The lawsuit is asking that Nestlé Purina Petcare Company pay actual, statutory and punitive damages to all those filed under the class action suit -- as<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>well as forfeit any profits earned from the sale of the product in question. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>< <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Document<o:p></o:p></p></div></body></html>