Dogs in the News, from page 10
Aiken’s Hounds are Winners
Springtime is the end of the hunting season, which means that local foxhound packs are going into their quiet season. It also means that it is time for the annual spring foxhound shows. The keepers of Aiken’s packs are quite proud of their hounds, and for good reason. They certainly should be proud of their winnings at the Carolinas Hound Show, held at the Springdale Racecourse in Camden on May 11-12. Why Worry Hounds, Whiskey Road and Aiken Hounds all had many winners in the individual classes. Whiskey Road and Why
junior pack class. All three young people represented the Aiken Hounds. Meanwhile, Joseph Hardiman, who is the huntsman with Whiskey Road, won the Bywaters Huntsman’s trophy.
Dog Treat Danger
According to the FDA, there have now been over 1,000 cases of animals becoming critically ill after eating store-bought chicken jerky treats for dogs. Most of the complaints have been associated with a few brands that are packaged in the United States but made in China. The illnesses include vomiting, diarrhea, kidney failure and even death. The most commonly identified brands associated with illness are Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch (both made by Nestle Purina) and Milo’s Kitchen, distributed by the Del Monte corporation. The first complaints about the treats came in 2007, when the FDA received 70 reports involving 95 dogs. In September of that year, the administration issued a “cautionary warning” to dog owners to watch their dogs for illness if they chose to feed them chicken jerky treats. A little over a year later, in December 2008, it issued a “Preliminary Animal Health Notification,” in which it cautioned consumers about a possible association between the treats and potentially fatal illness. Meanwhile, investigators tried to discover the cause of the problem, but found nothing.
in FDA labs as well as contract labs, and inspectors have been sent to the Chinese plants that make the treats. Meanwhile, there have been similar illnesses reported in Australia, where at least one firm has recalled their Chinese-made chicken jerky treats. So far, no cause for the illnesses has been found. Given the number of reports and the seriousness of the problems reported, many dog owners wonder why there has not been a recall. According to the FDA, since investigators have not actually found anything wrong with the treats, the agency is limited in what it can do. Although the companies can issue a voluntary recall if they so desire, the FDA is not authorized to order a recall based on complaints alone. The website for Waggin’ Train contains a Frequently Asked Questions section, in which it describes its Chicken Jerky Tenders as a “wholesome, healthy treat for your dog . . . made with premium chicken breast filets.” They are made in China “at facilities that are modeled after U.S. Department of Agriculture standards for quality and safety.” It goes on to emphasize that the FDA has not found anything wrong with its treats,
Katherine Gunter, Linda Knox McLean & Aiken Hounds Trailer
Worry had winners in the classes for English Foxhounds, with Why Worry Hounds Braveheart named champion dog and Why Worry Hounds Garter champion bitch. (Whiskey Road Foxhounds Gail was the reserve champion.) Why Worry Hounds Garter was the overall champion English Foxhound, while her kennelmate Braveheart was reserve. Why Worry and Whiskey Road owned the Crossbred division, winning 10 out of 11 classes. Whiskey Road Foxhounds Luther was the champion dog and reserve champion foxhound. Whiskey Road Lila was the champion bitch and reserve champion foxhound. In the Penn-Marydel division, Aiken Hounds Trailer topped the competition, winning three classes and being named champion dog. He was also named the champion Penn-Marydel Foxhound, and the grand champion foxhound of the show. Whiskey Road Lila was the reserve. Aiken’s handlers also fared well. In the junior divisions, Livi and Dora Johnson won the under 6 and the 7-to-12 year old class respectively, while Brooke Miller won the
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The Dog & Hound
Photos (3) Louisa Davidson
Complaints about the treats tapered off for a while, but then came roaring back last fall. By November 2011, there were over 400 complaints. The FDA issued another warning to consumers and stepped up its investigations. These have included testing for bacteria, metals, pesticides, antibiotics, toxins, and other poisonous compounds, as well as excessive vitamin levels. Testing has been carried out
and that the FDA has also stated that the dogs that became ill may have been sickened by something else. Although both Nestle and Del Monte stand behind their chicken jerky and the Chinese plants that make them, consumers who know about the problem (and those whose dogs have been affected) are more skeptical about trusting Chinese pet food safety standards. Many people remember the wide scale pet food recall that began in March 2007, in which 5,300 different foods were recalled after thousand of animals were sickened or died. The affected pet foods all
Summer 2012