Court Gives Preliminary OK in Pet Food Recall Case

A settlement fund will be available to pet owners affected by the 2007 recall.

The U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey gave preliminary approval for a $24 million settlement agreement regarding the 2007 massive pet food recall.

Canada-based Menu Foods received more than 100 class action lawsuits after dogs and cats became ill or died as a result of eating the tainted food. The contaminants were discovered to be melamine and cyanuric acid, which were in ingredients from China that went into pet food in the United States.

The agreement creates a settlement fund that allows pet owners potentially to recover up to 100 percent of economic damages, subject to certain limitations.

The fund, administered by a neutral claims administrator, will be available to persons in the United States and Canada who purchased or obtained, or whose pets used or consumed, recalled pet food.

A motion for final approval has been scheduled for Oct. 14.

Those with potential claims can contact the claims administrator:

            In re Pet Food Products Liability Litigation
            Claims Administrator
            c/o Heffler, Radetich & Saitta LLP
            P.O. Box 890
            Philadelphia, PA 19105-0890
            800-392-7785
     
A claims administration website, www.petfoodsettlement.com, is scheduled to be live by June 16.