Yup, that’s it. Sally & Stephen Miller, the owners of ChemNutra, got a slap on the wrist for their part in killing thousands of pets in 2007.
A federal judge today sentenced two Nevada business owners to three years probation for distributing a melamine-tainted ingredient that triggered a massive pet food recall in 2007 and caused the deaths and illnesses of thousands of dog and cats nationwide.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Maughmer also ordered Sally Qing Miller, 43, a Chinese national, and her husband, Stephen S. Miller, 57, to each pay a $5,000 fine. In addition, Whipple ordered the Miller’s company, Chemnutra, Inc., to pay a $25,000 fine.
The idea of these people getting off with a lame 3 year probation and a $5,000 fine is more than an insult to everyone whose lives they affected. And, we’re talking about thousands of lives – pets and their people.
According to government officials though, we should all be jumping up and down now that justice was served . . .
“Today’s sentence sends a strong message that we will work tirelessly to stop dangerous goods from entering the American marketplace,” said John Morton, the Department of Homeland Security’s assistant secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “ICE will continue to aggressively pursue individuals and organizations involved with illegally importing tainted or substandard goods that may jeopardize the safety of our families, communities and pets.”
“We commend the action of the U.S. Attorney’s Office against those companies and individuals responsible for many animal injuries and deaths from melamine contamination of pet food. The FDA will support strong enforcement of the law to protect the health and safety of our pets,” said Dr. Joshua M. Sharfstein, principal deputy commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Read the rest of Chemnutra Owners Sentenced for Melamine-Tainted Pet Food at Consumeraffairs.com
Right! I’ll sleep better at night now knowing my government works so hard to keep us all safe!. Not!
Tell me, if you lost your pet because he or she ate the deadly pet food, how much did you have to pay in vet bills? And what about those of you who have pets who survived, but have lasting health problems as a result? I’m not talking about the emotional cost right now. We all know that’s huge and can’t begin to be measured. But I bet many of you have paid more than $5,000 in vet bills.
And the people who caused it, got a slap on the wrist.
Technorati Tags: pet food recall, ChemNutra
Sally and Stephen Miller, owners of ChemNutra, Inc., the company that imported the melamine-tainted product that killed thousands of pets in the 2007 pet food recall, are to be sentenced today. Christie Keith writes about it over on Pet Connection this morning, and sadly it looks like they’re going to get off with just a slap on the wrist. A memorandum from the government recommends giving them a light sentence:
Sentencing is scheduled for Friday, February 5, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. before United States Magistrate Judge John T. Maughmer. As more fully explained below, the Government recommends that the Court adopt the agreement of the parties and impose a sentence of three years probation on each defendant, to include certain conditions of probation for each defendant, all as set forth and agreed to by the parties in the plea agreement.
There’s more, so go read Christie’s post. Just be ready – it won’t put a smile on your face.
I just don’t get it. You kill pets – whether it’s by poisoning them with melamine or pitting them against each other in the dog-fighting ring and all you get is a slap on the wrist. There’s something terribly wrong when life is disregarded so easily. But, since the recommendation letters from the Miller’s Pastor and fellow church members say they’re good people, I suppose we should give them a break and overlook the fact that they were responsible for so much death.
Technorati Tags: pet food recall, Chem Nutra, pets
Another day, another update.
I talked to Tequila’s vet this morning and there’s still no definitive answer to what’s going on. She had a chance to look everything over from yesterday and is thinking pretty much what the vet yesterday mentioned – that it could be IBD or lymphoma. The best way to figure that out for sure is to do exploratory surgery and get tissue samples of her intestines, liver, and lymph nodes. I’m not ready put her through abdominal surgery yet though, so we’re going a bit more conservative route right now.
Since Tequila’s not acting sick, the vet is going to give her some meds that should help with the inflammation and I’m going to change her diet a bit. And, since a urinalysis yesterday showed crystals in her urine, I’m going to also get her a water fountain that should encourage her to drink more. The vet will see her again next week to see if anything’s working and we’ll go from there.
In the meantime, her vet is going to talk with an internal medicine vet to get a second opinion. Tequila’s just not showing the signs of illness that a cat with her test results would show, and not everything in her blood work is exactly right on for any particular diagnosis. So it makes it a bit more difficult to figure out exactly what’s going on.
If you read my post yesterday you’ll understand when I say, “I don’t see a duck anywhere!”
Technorati Tags: Tequila cat, cat health
The FDA has launched a pet food recall database, with recalls dating back to January 1, 2006. The page says the database will be updated as new recalls happen.
Keep in mind though, that history has shown the FDA isn’t always as fast as we’d like when it comes to announcing recalls. And, as we’ve also learned, some pet food companies try their darnedest to cover up issues with their pet food even when pets are having problems. So, although the FDA database is a good thing, it’s wise not to rely only on this database to be the one source for recall news and/or pet food problems.
Here’s the FDA Pet Food Recall Products List. The FDA also has a recall and alert list for human foods.
When you go to the pet food recall list, you’ll also see a link to recall notices for products such as pigs ears, hooves, and veterinary products such as the medications that were recalled recently.
Technorati Tags: pet food recall, pets
by Therese on February 3, 2010
in Tequila
Yesterday I was talking to a friend about everything that’s going on with Tequila and her comment was, “even if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it may not be a duck.” Well, Tequila had her ultrasound today, and guess what! It may not be a duck!
Tequila may not have cancer after all. The vet who has been taking care of Tequila is out today, so one of the other vets in the practice called me to give me the results of the ultrasound. Her liver, spleen, pancreas, and lymph nodes look good! The only thing the radiologist saw that was abnormal was her intestines, which are inflamed. The inflammation could be from lymphoma or something as simple (compared to cancer!) as inflammatory bowel disease.
Tomorrow I’ll talk to the vet who’s been taking care of her since this all started to figure out what the next steps are. The one I talked to today suggested a biopsy of the intestines to find out for sure.
I’ve never been so happy to hear the words ‘inflammatory bowel disease.’ Sure, it’s not pretty, but it’s a heck of a lot less ugly than cancer!
Thanks so much for all the well wishes, and please keep them coming. I’m sure they’re helping!
Technorati Tags: inflammatory bowel disease in cats, cat health
Deja freakin’ vu!
It was just a year and a half ago that I wrote a blog post entitled, “My dog Lydia has cancer.” That sucked! I never imagined I’d say that phrase, but I’m so thankful Lydia’s done so well and has been happily in remission for quite some time. (Yay, Lydia!) I also never imagined I’d be saying the phrase I’m being forced to say now . . .
My cat Tequila has cancer.
Damn it!
Last week I took Tequila in for a routine exam. The blood work came back abnormal and the vet was fairly certain it was cancer, so she did more blood work. I just got off the phone with the vet a few minutes ago who called to give me the results of the most recent tests. What I heard isn’t what I was hoping for – it is indeed cancer.
Just like I did with Lydia’s cancer, I’m getting a crash course in cancer, this time it’s multiple myeloma. Multiple myeloma, the way I understand it, covers a broad range of blood disorders. Tequila’s is a plasma cell myeloma, which can cause cancerous skin lesions, and/or cancer cells in the liver, spleen or bone marrow.
Tomorrow Tequila is going in for an ultrasound. While he’s taking a look, the radiologist will also get some liver & spleen tissue samples. Hopefully this will tell us exactly where the cancer is and how it’s affected her so far. After that, we’ll probably be going to the oncologist to find out what options we have.
Tequila’s 12 years old and is one of the coolest cats around. And that’s not just me talking! Just about everybody who meets her comments on what a wonderful cat she is. I hear time and time again about how laid back she is, how fun she is to have around, and about how great her personality is. I happen to think all of that’s true, but it’s fun to hear it from other people too.
Tequila and I have been together since she was about 7 months old. That’s when my friend Sabra plunked her in my arms and said “hold this a minute.” That minute passed and I never let go! I held on tight to my little kitty, and she’s held on to my heart just as tight. Now it’s time to hold on to each other and fight this nasty stuff!
I hate cancer!
Update: It may not be cancer! See this post.
Technorati Tags: cats, cancer, multiple myeloma
If you’re like me, when one of my pets is diagnosed with a major illness, one of the first places I turn is to the Internet. Type any pet related health condition into your favorite search engine and you’ll find something – probably a lot of somethings! The question is, how accurate is the information you find? A savvy pet owner will not only read what’s online, but will evaluate the source of that information. Here are a few tips to help you decide whether or not the articles you find online are worth the time it takes to read them.
Consider the source
Look for articles written by researchers and other experts at veterinary schools, organizations that do research on animal health, and well-known websites. Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, Pet Connection, DogAware.com, and VeterinaryPartner.com are just a few of the many highly respected websites that cover pet health.
If you see an article on a website that doesn’t seem to have any credentials, look on some of the websites that do offer credentials to see if they have any corroborating info. As the old saying goes, “don’t believe everything you read.”
Look for current articles
While older articles are definitely worth reading, if you’re doing research on something like feline cancer (which I’m in the midst of learning about with Tequila), also try to find articles that are as up-to-date as possible. The newer articles will likely cite recent studies and/or advancements made about the condition you’re dealing with in your pet.
Look for articles by respected authors
Writers like Christie Keith and Gina Spadafori, (from Pet Connection) Dr. Patty Khuly (from Doolittler), Lew Olson (from B-Naturals), and Mary Strauss (from DogAware.com) are all well respected pet health writers. Anything you see written by them is going to be well-researched and based on facts. On the other hand, not every Joe Blow who sets up a website and posts his theory on how to heal dogs of cancer is going to be worth your time. Some of the information you find, will be written by people who mean well, but just aren’t qualified to be offering medical advice. And of course, be wary of the scammers who have the miracle cure you’re looking for. Chances are, the only thing you’ll be making healthier by sending them your money is their bank account!
Evaluate personal accounts carefully
Regardless of what type of illness your pet has, you’re probably going to want to hear from others who have gone through the same thing with their pets. I know I did when when Lydia was diagnosed with cancer in 2008 (and I do now that Tequlia’s been diagnosed with cancer). I wanted to hear from others who have dealt with the same type of cancer. I wanted to know how the pets were treated, what they fed them, what supplements they gave their pet, how the disease progressed. And of course, I wanted to hear from people who had dogs who survived! I found happy and sad stories, but every time I read something I reminded myself that Lydia’s situation was unique, and that her story wouldn’t be identical to any other. It’s important to keep this fact in mind no matter what type of problem you’re facing with your pet. Not every disease in every pet is going to progress in the exact same way. Get input from others, but don’t get too hung up on exactly how things progressed in their pets.
Being faced with a major illness in one of your pets is stressful enough without wasting time reading articles that prove to be harmful, or inaccurate at best. Finding information online about your pet’s condition is the easy part – evaluating it can sometimes be a bit tricky. So, before going too far into what you’re reading take the time to decide whether it’s worth reading. It could save you a lot of time and heartache.
Technorati Tags: pet heath, pet health websites, pet illness research
I just talked with my vet about an hour ago and she had some unsettling news. Yesterday I took Tequila in for a checkup. The vet said she looked healthy (other than needing to shed some weight), but today the blood work shows another story. One of the levels is extremely elevated, and although there are a few different conditions it could point to, the one that makes the most sense is cancer. (I hate that word!)
The vet’s first step is to repeat the blood test and hope that somehow the results were wrong. If it comes back with the same results Tequila’s in for more blood work, x-rays, and who knows what else. At this point I’m just hoping the repeat blood work will be normal.
We’re off to see the vet again, for the second day in a row.
I hate cancer! And even the possibility of cancer absolutely SUCKS!
Update: More results from the vet today, Feb 2. Tequila has cancer.
Technorati Tags: feline cancer, cats
