What If Your Pet Dies From Its Food?
Michael Babboni
Recalls
For many pet owners, this is a nightmarish scenario that no one wants to think about. You love your dog or your cat, and you just want the best for them for all the joy they bring into your household with you, your children or other family members. And then one day, your cat or dog becomes sick, and, to your horror, there is nothing you can do about it. Eventually, your beloved house pet dies and you want to know why.This has happened to many pet owners over the years, and in some cases, it has come to light after an examination that what has killed the pet is that most unexpected of sources, the pet food itself. It’s almost inconceivable, but it does happen; sometimes pet food does get contaminated with either contagious diseases, or foreign, toxic substances which can make pets sick and even kill them.
If this happens to you, your pet and your household, it doesn’t mean that you have to sit back and accept this. You did nothing wrong by wanting to feed your pet quality food, someone else has made an error that cost your pet its life. And the law can—and does—punish people for this.
Personal Injury & Product Problems
In the case of a pet, you are not an injured party, however, your pet is, in this legal sense, considered your property. So any illness or death your pet sustains as a result of eating contaminated food is similar to a type of property damage. You can certainly take a company to court in such a case, and there’s even a very good chance that you will win, but this isn’t going to be like a brain trauma or car accident case where millions of dollars in punitive damages or medical expenses can be won in the case.
Where pets are concerned, usually the cost of medical care or—in some extreme cases—cost of pet replacement are the normal expenses that can be recovered in court. In the case of food related illness or death however, things may be a little different.
Get Professional Help
There are two things you need to do if you suspect your pet’s illness or death is a result of the food. You should consult with an experienced St. Pete lawyer to share your concerns. You should also get conclusive medial evidence that what you suspect is truly the case. A veterinary examination of the pet, the pet’s feces, and an examination of the food will all be important steps in determining cause and blame. If this is a widespread problem and other owners are suffering similar problems with their pets, there is a chance that this may even develop into a large scale class action lawsuit allowing all the affected owners to participate.
An experienced St. Petersburg attorney is essential in navigating an experience as upsetting as this one. If you know that a company’s negligence has caused your pet to get sick or even die, you should not simply accept this. Talk to a lawyer and get the justice you deserve.