Today turned out to be a VERY hectic day at PETCO. Sometime after lunch, I received word of a recall on certain types of dog and cat food in cans and pouches. As the afternoon wore on, we learned it potentially affected more brands. We quickly assembled a team to gather information and develop an action plan. I am good at crisis management, and find it easy to think clearly. I assembled a cross-functional team of people around the PETCO offices and we made decisions to have all PETCO stores remove alny potentially affected brands from its shelves as a precaution. Our first priority was for the safety of the animals and to remove the threat of tainted product.Here is the public message we posted on the PETCO corporate blog this afternoon:In response to a nationwide recall initiated Friday by pet food manufacturer Menu Foods, PETCO has directed its stores to discontinue selling certain wet food products for dogs and cats produced by Menu Foods.
Menu Foods announced the voluntary recall after receiving what it said was "feedback in the United States raising concerns" about a small number of animals becoming sick and developing signs of kidney failure.
At PETCO, our first priority is for animal safety, and we are removing from our shelves Iams and Eukanuba wet dog and cat food cans and pouches that have been clearly identified for recall by P&G Pet Care, owner of the Iams and Eukanuba brands. Menu Foods produces those products for P&G Pet Care.
In addition, as a precautionary measure we are pulling from shelves all other wet food products that are manufactured by Menu Foods until we receive confirmation of their safety from the manufacturer.
By taking these steps, customers shopping with PETCO this weekend can have full confidence that the food products available for purchase are safe and healthy for their animals.
Meanwhile, Menu Foods has not immediately provided a full list of brand names and lot numbers covered by the recall, and has stated that they would be posted on its Web site -
http://www.menufoods.com/recall - early Saturday, March 17th. Consumers with questions can call 1-866-463-6738.
The following brands of canned and wet food will temporarily be removed from sale at all PETCO stores by opening of business on Saturday, March 17th, 2007:
Iams & Eukanuba cans and pouches with lot numbers starting with 6339 through 7073 and Manufacturer code: 4197
Iams/Eukanuba Consumer Care Hotline 1-800-882-1591
As a precaution, PETCO is temporarily removing the following brands from its shelves for sale until each manufacturer has determined that these products are safe for consumption:- Mighty Dog Pouches- Nutro Natural Choice dog cans and pouches- Nutro Complete Care cat Pouches and 3 oz cans- Nutro Ultra dog cans- Nutro Max cat cans and pouches- Mixables dog pouches- Hill's Science Diet Savory Cuts cat 3 oz. cans
IMPORTANT NOTES:- Dry Dog and cat food are NOT affected by this recall.- Other canned food brands not mentioned herein, and available for sale in
PETCO stores and
http://www.petco.com/ as of Saturday March 17th, 2007 are not affected by this recall and are safe for consumption.
If you have any questions, please contact PETCO Customer Relations at 1-888-824-PALS(7257).
This site is about my personal opinions, experiences and stuff I am interested in. From time to time I express a personal opinion about natural, holistic and organic dog and cat food brands. As the author, I am writing this with no affiliation to my employer, although I am a dog food merchandise manager and have an excellent knowledge of pet foods. There are many kinds of natural, holistic, organic and super premium dog and cat foods available. When looking for a natural, holistic or organic pet food it is important to first consider the needs of your pet. What are you feeding now? Are there any issues that your pet is having? How is your pet's skin and coat? healthy? Shiny? Does you pet have any digestion issues? Always consult your vet if you notice any serious problems. In my personal opinion, if you want some of the best natural and holistic pet foods available, try brands such as Natural Balance, Natural Ultramix , Organix, Solid Gold and Pet Promise.
I've been working in the pet industry now for over ten years and have met many interesting people. Perhaps one of the most dynamic individuals I know is Andi Brown (see photo left), author of The Whole Pet Diet. Aside from being a top selling author, Andi is the founder of a pet product company called Halo, Purely for Pets that makes all natural holistic pet products. Andi has a passion for animals and believes strongly in the benefits of a holistic approach to animal health. I first met Andi about 8 years ago at a pet industry trade show, where she convinced me to taste her canned dog food, Spot's Stew. Since it's made in a USDA approved kitchen and has only fresh chicken and vegetables, I willingly tasted it, and it wasn't bad at all. Anyway, that's how I know Andi. (By the way, if you want to know where to find Spot's Stew see the bottom of this post, but this is NOT intended to be a commercial plug)
Andi was in town for the Wags for Wishes pet event in San Diego, so we had some time to meet for dinner and catch up on things. Since the recent pet food recall, Andi has been in high demand with the media to talk about her opinions on pet food and alternatives for concerned pet owners. She has been on the speaking circuit doing satellite tours and interviews with major networks and local TV affiliates, and doing seminars too. It was great to catch up with Andi and hear about how much she is dong to educate the public on alternatives for not only pet food, but also overall pet health. Her opinions about commercial pet food are controversial, but reflect her personal beliefs, which she is entitled to have. The book is an interesting read and people can form their own opinions. Whether the reader forms the same opinion or not, what's important is that people ask what's in the food they feed their dog or cat, and read ingredient labels. There really are long term benefits to feeding high quality, premium, natural and organic pet foods. Anyway, I'll get off my soap box now.
I'm in Chicago for a few days attending the Pet Food Forum, which is billed as a premier event for the pet food industry. It is a combination of informative seminars, technical presentations, a mini-trade show floor with suppliers, and plenty of networking opportunities (aka "schmoozing") with the main players in the pet industry.
after all. 
Today was another intense day at work. This pet food recall stuff is a mess. And a major headache to deal with. I was at the office by 6:30 AM and by 8:30 my head was already throbbing. I spent the entire day fielding calls from stores, our field management team, vendors and members of our senior management team. So many details that needed to be addressed. By the end of the day it felt like my brain was just full and couldn't take another single thought.
