OMG I was freaking out when this news broke. I use Nutro and was terrified that my Min Pin and Chihuahua were in trouble - fortunately for us, we found out that the problem was only with the Chunky style food! I feel so bad for all the pets and owners who were not as fortunate.
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out - I have noticed many of the food companies tooting their own horns on how responsible they were because they issue a voluntary recall; seems like they are padding for the blow from the lawsuits. What I want to see is a company tooting their own horn because they actually test the safety of the food they sale to us!
What is sad is that many states treat animals as property vs members of the family (which is what they are in my house) and so punitive awards are limited by the 'retail' value of the animal - BS! This will mean that a family will only get, say, $600 after their animal suffered to death in front of their eyes because that is what the breed 'is worth' on the market. I really hope that the companies are held responsible for the error and most importantly that it leads to more stringent tests of quality and safety. I mean, come on; RAT POISON!?!?!
I hope she sues them.