News
“We Speak For Those Who Can’t”
June 12, 2007, 12:0AM MT
By Jennifer S Hayes
Grass-roots activists supporting legislation to help protect our pet food supply.
Grass-roots activists supporting legislation to help protect our pet food supply.
By Jennifer Hayes: Best Friends Network
Pet Food National Protest Day occurred throughout the nation this past weekend with events in California, Arizona, South Carolina, Wisconsin and Texas. In Austin, Mike Floyd of Defend Our Pets and Jennifer Hoeflein of Pets Need a Voice Too sponsored a meet-and-greet for pet guardians at Shoal Creek Dog Park. Their goal was to raise awareness and obtain signatures for the petition in support of Human and Pet Food Safety Act of 2007; Senate 1274 and HR 2108.
Mike Floyd founded Defend Our Pets after Ralph, his 9 year old lab mix, had a tooth infection back in February. Ralph started a new diet of soft HEB Hill Country Fair food and though he had been housebroken for years, he suddenly began urinating around the house. A trip to the vet produced a diagnosis of kidney failure. The Menu pet food recall occurred only a couple days later, which included Ralph’s new variety. Fortunately Ralph survived his ordeal, but many other cats and dogs were not so lucky. Floyd had prior activist experience, and so the formation of Defend Our Pets came naturally. He now receives daily photos of animals that were affected by the tainted food to add to his website.
He is now focused on getting legislation passed to help protect the pet food supply. After contacting Ladd Wiley, Director of the Coalition for a Stronger FDA, the group which previously had only three committees (food, pharmacy and medical) has agreed to add a fourth, pet food. They will work together for bigger appropriations to the FDA, so that there can be additional and more stringent inspections. Once Floyd has enough petition signatures and photos from protest events around the country, he plans to travel to Washington DC to talk to the bill sponsors and other politicians about supporting the Human and Pet Food Safety Act of 2007, so that it comes to a vote before the 110th congressional session ends. Says Floyd, “Bills need to be toughened up significantly.”
Jennifer Hoeflein, Founder of Pets Need a Voice Too, also attended the event to show support and to educate dog park patrons. Since the death of her cat Timber due to eating recalled food, her family has lost its faith in the pet food industry and her mother has been feeding her own cat, Baby Kahn, a homemade diet. Jennifer offers up a cautionary tale though, as Kahn began to loose hair about two weeks ago, as though he had a skin allergy. The family has now have begun supplementing his diet with store bought food, but have had a difficult time finding varieties that do not contain wheat gluten at her local store.
For now they both continue their efforts to hold the pet food industry accountable and hope to prevent another tragedy from happening again. As Hoeflein says, “We speak for those who can’t.”
For additional information and how you can help:
• Visit the Defend Our Pets website
• Sign the Defend Our Pets petition in support of tougher laws, more strict inspections, and tougher penalties for violations
• Visit the Pets Need a Voice Too website
• See the Austin Memorial Service for Pets Affected by the Recall
Photo credit: photo of .Mike Floyd of Defend Our Pets and Jennifer Hoeflein of Pets Need a Voice Too taken by Jennifer Hayes