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Judge Approves $24M in Pet
Melamine-Poisoning Case Date
Published: Wednesday, October 15th, 2008 Source of Article: http://www.newsinferno.com/archives/4012 Yesterday we reported that pet owners are asking
that criminal charges be brought against the pet food companies that poisoned
their pets last year. A federal judge was listening to oral arguments
on a proposal to bring the amount pet food makers and distributors would pay
to settle hundreds of lawsuits to $32 million. The Associated Press
(AP) is reporting that U.S. District Judge Noel Hillman approved a $24
million settlement for those cat and dog owners
whose pets fell ill or died after eating pet food contaminated with melamine,
which represents an addition to the original $8 million, bringing the total
settlement amount to $32 million. The owners have until November 24 to
file the claims; checks could arrive next year. A Canadian judge has
scheduled a hearing for November 3 to determine if the settlement can also
apply there. In March 2007, the Menu Foods Income Fund recalled
millions of containers of pet food that were believed to be sickening and
killing pets rapidly and by the thousands. The U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) learned that the food contained melamine, which was
traced to contaminated wheat gluten imported from Melamine is an industrial chemical used in the
manufacture of plastics, fire retardants, and
fertilizers and has become popular in recent years for its ability to cheat
nutrition tests. Because melamine possesses high nitrogen contents, it
is used to falsify protein levels in foods, being added when food is diluted
with other, less expensive food products or water. The addition of
melamine creates the impression of high protein levels in the diluted
products. Melamine can cause kidney problems—including kidney stones
and kidney failure—when ingested and can lead to death. The settlement is meant to compensate owners for
many expenses that, according to the AP report, include the cost of the food
and medical and burial expenses, “the value of the animals or the cost of
replacement pets, checkups for animals who ate the food but did not get sick,
replacing carpets ruined by sick pets, and time the owners took off work to
seek treatment for their animals.” A lead attorney for the plaintiffs
said she believes over 1,500 animals died in the The AP noted that the agreement does not include
financial restitution for the humans’ pain and suffering over the illness and
injuries to and deaths of their pets and a few dozen pet owners formally
objected to the settlement. Some pet owners wrote letters to Judge
Hillman describing their animals as best friends and not possessions;
however, lawyers involved say that the law “is not on the side of their
deeply felt sentiments.” |
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