Diamond Pet Foods hit with class action suit over Kirkland Salmonella tainted dog food
Diamond Pet Foods Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corp. were slapped with a class action in New York federal court over recent massive recalls of Kirkland Signature dog food linked to a Salmonella Infantis outbreak that has sickened countless pets and at least 22 people.
This is not the first Diamond Pet Food lawsuit filed over the Salmonella Infantis outbreak. A New Jersey couple filed a class action lawsuit against Diamond and Costco in May after their 8-week-old infant son was sickened by tainted Kirkland Signature dog food they purchased at Costco, causing him to spend three days in the hospital with gastrointestinal injuries.
In the present class action suit, plaintiff Barbara Marciano said one of her dogs died after eating pet food purchased at a Westbury, N.Y., Costco and manufactured at Diamond’s plant in Gaston, S.C., where the outbreak began. Marciano is claiming her dog Benji died after eating Costco’s private label brand Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Formula for Dogs tainted with Salmonella.
Marciano is suing Diamond Pet Foods and Costco Wholesale Corporation on seven counts: Count I Breach of Implied Warranty; Count II Breach of Express Warranty; Count III Negligence; Count IV Strict Product Liability; Count V Unjust Enrichment; Count VI Violations of the New York General Business Law Section 349 (deceptive acts and practices); Count VII Violations of the New York General Business Law Section 350 (false advertising)
Marciano is suing Diamond Pet Foods and Costco on behalf of all U.S. consumers who purchased the recalled Diamond pet food. She is seeking actual and consequential damages; treble damages; reimbursement, restitution and disgorgement; injunctive relief and more.
The law firm handling Marciano’s case, Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP, is the same firm that handled the Menu Foods pet foods liability litigation settlement for $24 million.
Affected consumers are encouraged to join the class action by contacting the law firm, Robbins Geller Rudman & Dowd LLP, by calling 800.449.4900 or contacting them through their website at www.rgrdlaw.com.
A special note of thanks to a reader named Linda who told me her heartbreaking story and was the first person to join the suit. It was Linda’s beloved dog Jelly who, given to her only three short years ago as a puppy, died after consuming the tainted pet food. She wrote:
Regala’s By The Sea (Jelly) was a Portuguese Water Dog bred by Eleanor Pierce (one of the first breeders of PWD in America).
My son, Michael, [pictured above with Jelly] buried that dog one month after we took that photo. I wrapped Jelly in several of my antique quilts, and Michael dug a huge deep grave for him. We gently lowered him, and placed handful by handful of dirt on him. I didn’t want to shovel the dirt on him, forceful like that. We did it gently.
They only looked to love us, and all their hope was in us. They did not deserve to suffer and die such painful ugly deaths. We failed them.
It is with her kind permission that the photographs of Jelly were used for this article.
Reference: Barbara Marciano v. Schell & Kampeter, Inc. d/b/a Diamond Pet Foods, et al., Case No. 12-cv-2708, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York. A copy of the Diamond Pet Foods Salmonella Recall Class Action Lawsuit can be read here.
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10 Comments
Nicole
On June 1, 2024 I came home to our year and a half old black lab foaming at the mouth in her crate. I ran to the crate to help her. As I went to open the crate she tried to bite me. She has no idea who I was. She was like a wild animal. What happened?
My 8 year old daughter and I sat there traumatized unable to help her waiting for my husband to get home to help me figure this out. A few minutes later he pulled in.
We lifted the crate with broom handles and rushed her to to local vet hospital. They asked us what happened. We had no idea. She was growling and barking completely disconnected with reality and not a clue who we were.
Then my husband remembered. We have a camera in our house. Her cage was in view of the camera. In the 3 hours she was in her crate while we were gone she had 7 seizures, 3 being long and painful all 20 minutes apart. He saw our sweet little Siv go from sleeping to completely unaware of her surroundings, in fear, attacking her crate.
My heat was broken. I couldn’t watch the videos. How did this happen. She’s never had any medical issues. Never once had a seizure. On June 1st at 9pm she passed away.
Two days before she passed away we purchased new food from Costco. Kirkland nature’s domain brand. I gave her breakfast the day before and she threw it all up. Thinking she had an upset stomach I gave her rice. She ate the rice and she was fine. The next morning I put the food in her bowl. She ate a few bites and threw up again. I gave her rice and she ate it. No throwing up. A few hours later, I kissed her sweeet face and put her in her crate. She passed away that night.
Today I returned the food we purchased from Costco. Our vet suggested since we switched her food to the new bag we bought 5 days prior it should be mentioned. Bubbling up in tears I told my story. The manager came over and we all sobbed.
One of the women that worked at the customer service counter started crying and said “I stopped feeding my black lab Kirkland food because she was having seizures. She’s been fine since I switched her food.”
My heart sank.
Laura
I was in a Costco in Los Angeles County the last week of July 2012. They had a woman standing by one of the sample tables. She had a bag of this exact dog food – Costco’s private label brand Kirkland Signature Nature’s Domain Salmon Meal & Sweet Potato Formula for Dogs – on the table and encouraged me to buy it for my dog. She was touting the fact that it had no grains and was a much healthier option for my dog than most other foods. I looked at the bag and could not find where the food was made, only that it was DISTRIBUTED by Costco. If I cannot find out where a food product is made by reading the packaging or if it is not made in the USA or Canada, I will no longer buy it. That goes for human, dog, and cat food.
I asked the woman if she knew where the dog food was made and she immediately started looking at the bag. She then asked me if I had a cell phone with me and recommended I call the 800 number on the bag to find out where the food was made. I am EXTREMELY upset that Costco was still pushing this food after knowing they had released Salmonella tainted food. Also, they were still selling the Waggin’ Train Dog Jerky Treats in June. I did not see them there this time, however.
Pedigree
thanks for the info… :-}
jimmie chew
Hi Mollie. I want to thank you for everything you write. we have learn so much from you! Come by our blog when you have time to say Good Bye, we are done with our meowmoir. you were one of our first followers. thank you!
http://www.jimmiechew.wordpress.com
Mollie Morrissette
Boo! Your leaving us? Farewell my fashion feline! We’ll miss you!
Sam
The only way to make these companies do the right thing is to threaten them with class actions where they have to pay. I found lots of claims at http://www.mysettlementclaims.com and already claimed over $500
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Linda Petote Martin, RN
Thank you, Mollie.
This is all we can do now.
Linda
xo
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