Christie on " The Pet Food Recall: What ' s happening now and did it make a difference? "

So, Gina's off at dog shows this weekend. She left me in charge, but I've been trying to learn the gentle art of "not working" without first having to be stricken with a severe respiratory infection, so I spent most of the day with my nose stuck in a book. I've just emerged long enough to abuse Gina's trust with a little shameless self-promotion.



As I posted about before, the South by Southwest Internet conference in Austin next March is considering having Ben from itchmo.com, Therese from PetSitUsa.com, and me as panelists (and maybe a couple of others!) to talk about the role our blogs played in covering the pet food recall. If you haven't already, it would be extremely helpful to us if you went over and voted for the topic -- full info on how to do that is here. Comments are also very welcome!



And if you're in the San Francisco area, I'll be speaking on "The Pet Food Recall: What's happening now and did it make a difference?" at the Bay Area Pet Fair next Saturday, Sept. 8, at 10:30 A.M. on the indoor stage at the Marin Center in San Rafael, CA. Directions and information on how to get there, as well as a full schedule of other speakers -- including Mary Straus of DogAware.com talking about canine nutrition -- can be found on the Bay Area Pet Fair website. Please let anyone you think might be interested know.



/shameless self-promotion

Comments

[Karen Goodhart]

I'm in Georgia. Won't be able to go to San Fran, but would really be interested in your speech. Any chance that you will post it when you're done?



Thanks,



Karen Goodhart

[Karen Goodhart]

That would be great!! Thanks,



Karen in Georgia

[Christie Keith]

Hmmm. I wasn't really going to write a speech, I'm a very extemporaneous speaker. Maybe I'll record it and transcribe it. Thanks for asking!

[Elaine]

Schnauzer,



Because of your Chinese American heritage, you probably are aware that, until recently (maybe 10 yrs ago?) HongKong was separated from China and not under communist rule. The People's Republic of China made some deal that Hong Kong would remain independent for another 10 (?)years and then would be a part of communist China again.



I remember that HongKong was quite distressed by this but were forced somehow to agree. Taiwan is another free part of China. Chaing Kai Shek (sp) retreated to Taiwan when the communists took over, and Taiwan is still an independent country. U.S. pledged to protect Taiwan from a communist takeover.



So at the time your Barbie was made in an independent country! Feel better?



While we boycott made in China, remember that made in Taiwan is OK.

[Elaine]

I just got a call from a friend that her dog, Bessie, is dying and she will put her down. She started feeding her Purina dog food 3 weeks ago, and Bessie has all the symptoms of the dog poisoning.



My friend works for the local grocery store where she purchased the food, so she knows that all the recalled food was packed up and shipped back, so this would be new shipment food, and she presumed it to be safe now. Wrong!

[Concha Castaneda]

I have always thought that eating an organ (liver of anything) that is a "filter" for toxins is probably not a good idea...but that might be just me!

[perkysmom]

Did anyone read the article on pet food in last Sunday's PARADE? Sure seemed like it was written by someone from the pet food industry. The writer was very skeptical about organic pet food, and included a list of foods not to feed your pet (the usual, chocolate, onions etc.) Liver was listed (did not specify beef or chicken). Does anyone know why liver would be bad?

[schnauzer]

If it had not been for the pet food mess, and the information I was able to get from this and other blogs, my dogs would all be dead and I would not be worried about popcorn and Barbie. Thanks guys.



http://www.rapidcityjournal.com/articles/2007/09/05/ap/headlines/d8rf4aig0.txt



Consumers, not just factory workers, may be in danger from fumes from buttery flavoring in microwave popcorn, according to a warning letter to federal regulators from a doctor at a leading lung research hospital.



http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-oe-tang5sep05,1,3881909.story?coll=la-news-a_section



Mattel's recent recall of lead-tainted toys made in China reminded me of my childhood. As a Chinese American girl growing up in the 1970s, I was fascinated by Barbie's rear end. Not only was it plump and round, like her prominent breasts, but my doll carried this inscription: "Made in Hong Kong."

[Bernard J. (Bernie) Starzewski]

I think that the blogs had a terrific effect on driving people to the source of the problem.



But Menu foods and the same old lame FDA are still around although MAYBE some of the FDA labs scheduled for closing were kept open from public pressure.



Certainly the media is no wiser and has in fact forgotten.

The same brand of food that killed my Brandy is back on the shelves and people are buying it.



My new pal Scout eats what I eat.

In listening to all that clap trap about how table scraps are bad for dogs I have but three comments.



1. I feed him double cheese burgers and pizza whenever possilbe. Nope, no scraps here!



2. At least I haven't been poisoned by melamine (yet).



3. If that happens, at least we will go down together.

[schnauzer]

I'm not Chinese, the author of the article I quoted is... Sorry for the confusion. I am German from Russia & Welsh/Mutt/something else... or as NADAC would say "all-american"

[Dennis]

This reporter has asked for people to contact him/her concerning whether they are changing their behavior in response to the unsafe Chinese products (September 5th)

http://www.lohud.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070905/BUSINESS01/709050438

jalterio at lohud.com



I'd say this is an opportunity to tell him about the continuing pet deaths, injuries, non-recall recalls, the imported chicken strips, and the chicken and pork being imported while there are H5N1 bird flu and PRRSV hog outbreaks this year in China. And tell him about the formaldehyde reports and then the photo of the 3rd degree burns on the 3 year old from his pajamas catching fire, the lead in the tens of millions of toys, jewelry, trinkets, and so on. And how parents now have to figure out somehow if their toys are safe, and how often do they now have to keep checking for recalls, because they keep coming? I hope he hears first hand from affected pet owners how they feel the need to PAY to have ExperTox test their pet foods independently and then are struggling with what to do when the results come back positive for cyanuric acid and acetaminophen. He needs to hear about PetConnection, Itchmo blog, forum, PetFoodTracker, ThePetFoodList, and other similar sites. He should hear about story of the woman who took all her toys to Mattel's headquarters and demanded they come out and sort out the bad ones from the good ones that she couldn't figure it out. They did. And how many people temporarily altered their chicken and pork eating habits when they heard the FDA and USDA approved us eating melachickens and melapork due to the tainted pet food scraps getting into our human foods? And so much more...



His story might be picked up by other media once it is printed. Be nice if you call or write.