Purina Beneful is Killing Dogs, Lawsuit Alleges

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By Sherri Lonon (Patch Staff)

Purina’s Beneful dry kibble dog food has led to serious illness and even death in more than 3,000 pets across the country, a class action lawsuit filed Feb. 5 alleges.

Tampa’s Morgan & Morgan is representing pet owners in the case, inviting others who have yet to come forward to join the suit.

The main plaintiff in the case alleges he began feeding his three dogs Purina Beneful starting on Jan. 15 with all three experiencing side effects, the Morgan & Morgan website states. One of the dogs became ill on the same day he started providing Beneful and one died on Jan. 23, the suit alleges. The third dog also became sick and is undergoing medical testing.

The plaintiff has been identified as Frank Lucido, according to WFLA. Lucido’s suit was filed in a U.S. District Court in California with representation from Morgan & Morgan and attorneys from the San Francisco area, the station reported.

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The suit pertains to such Nestle Beneful products as Healthy Weight, Original, Incredibites, Healthy Growth for Puppies, Healthy Smile, Healthy Fiesta, Healthy Radiance and Playful Life. The suit alleges all eight varieties cause such conditions as internal bleeding, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, liver failure and kidney failure, WPBF is reporting.

Morgan & Morgan’s website states the Beneful brands allegedly contain two ingredients that are considered toxic to pets. Propylene glycol is an antifreeze component that is a known toxin for animals, the website states. In addition, the lawsuit alleges that “dangerous levels of mycotoxins have been found during testing conducted on Purina Beneful Original.” Mycotoxins are produced by fungus and are known to be toxic to animals, the suit alleges.

The suit seeks $5 million in damages, according to ABC.

Nestle Purina PetCare spokesman Bill Salzman denies the lawsuit’s allegations.

“We believe the lawsuit is baseless, and we intend to vigorously defend ourselves and our brand,” he was quoted by WPBF as saying. “Beneful had two previous class action suits filed in recent years with similar baseless allegations, and both were dismissed by the courts.”

Pet owners who believe their dogs have been sickened after eating Purina Beneful can inquire about joining the class action suit by contacting Morgan & Morgan.