After almost three years, the owners of Chemnutra, Inc., the company responsible for importing and distributing a tainted ingredient used in pet food and responsible for thousands of pet deaths, were sentenced in federal court. On Friday, February 5, 2010, the Office Of The United States Attorney Western District Of Missouri issued this press release:

Sally Qing Miller, 43, a Chinese national, and her husband, Stephen S. Miller, 57, both of Las Vegas, Nev., were sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Maughmer this morning to three years of probation. The court also ordered their company, Chemnutra, Inc., to pay a $25,000 fine. Sally Miller and Stephen Miller were each ordered to pay a $5,000 fine.

The court ruled that no further restitution would be imposed in light of a $24 million settlement in the related civil suit reached in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey. 

To read the full press release, click here.

Depth and scope of the 2007 pet food recalls

I vividly remember reading the paper on a sunny Saturday in March of 2007 - St. Patrick's Day, learning about the beginnings of the 2007 pet food recall.  At least the beginning of what was published. Case reports of animals becoming ill or dying from pet foods actually began quietly in late 2006. The pet food recall timeline spanned many months.

At first, the cause of kidney problems and death in dogs and cats were a mystery. Officials suspected aminopterin as a toxic component to the foods. That was later ruled out and determined to be melamine, an agent high in nitrogen that was used to falsely boost protein levels in the wheat gluten used in pet foods.

Probation and a (relatively small) fine. Is that all?

According to the press release, "consumer reports received by the FDA suggest that approximately 1,950 cats and 2,200 dogs died after eating pet food contaminated with melamine."  Those numbers are best guestimates, since not all cases were reported, not all cases were diagnosed as being related to toxic food ingestion, and... sad to say, not all cases made it to the vet before dying. Conservatively speaking, according to the FDA, this translates to 4,150 pets who were unintentionally killed by the foods they ate. Foods that their caretakers spent good money on, fed in food faith to keep their beloved pets healthy.

Now, after almost 3 years, the ones who started this massive recall receive a 3 year probation from importing pet food ingredients and fined a total of $35,000? The Millers have pleaded guilty to importing a melamine-tainted ingredient. They have pleaded guilty to false labeling.

Something is missing here

I wish it was the melamine. This does not feel like much of a sentence for causing the biggest pet food recall in history. Because of a previous $24 million settlement reached in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey with pet food manufacturers, distributors and retailers, no further fines or punishment would be imposed on Chemnutra Inc. 

Reprinted by permission from Janet Tobiassen Crosby, DVM, About.Com Guide to Veterinary Medicine