Sunday, September 21, 2008

No poison, please

Ever wonder what happened with that whole rash of pet deaths due to the poisons in pet food last year? At first, they thought it was "just" because of rat poison, but then found melamine was also involved. Evidently, the poisons were more dangerous to cats than dogs.

Well, in the end, one manufacturer agreed to pay some of the vet bills (how generous...not). There were initially 50 class-action lawsuits filed by angry No Tails, although as this disturbing Wall Street Journal piece notes, their prospects for success are dismal (pets rate about the same as toaster ovens in the eyes of civil courts). 

However, I recently found out there were actually three indictments! I guess that's sort of like justice.  Sort of.

I hate to throw a FOX news link up here right off the bat, (Ms. Whiskers is not a fan of FAUX news) but they did provide a handy-dandy list of pet food brands to avoid.

In case some of you No Tails still don't understand why you should be concerned, melamine in the human food supply isn't, like, beyond the realm of possibility.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

The idea that pets are no more valuable than toasters shoes how warped the values of our legal system are. No account is taken of the emotional investment people have in their pets. No value in given to any pet for being a living thing based on intelligence or self awareness of a species. The law only takes into account the financial investment, and even limits that account to a certain perspective that benefits corporations.

Clearly the law sucks and needs some serious overhaul.

I'll join the campaign. :)

Thomcat

Anonymous said...

ITA, Thomcat. Imagine if hundreds of small children had died as the result of rat poison and melamine in baby food. What would the legal response be, then?

Anonymous said...

Ah, but children are people, not property. All other living creatures, no matter how intelligent or self aware are not people. They are only property. That was sort of my intended point in a round about way. :)

Thomcat