A lawsuit has been launched against Beneful dry dog food, produced by Nestle Purina PetCare, over allegations the company knew its product was harming the health of “thousands of dogs,” the plaintiff said in court documents.
The allegations also say that the eight kinds of Beneful dog food have caused the animals to suffer internal bleeding, liver failure, vomiting, diarrhea, weight loss, seizures, bloat and kidney failure — and the “death of thousands of dogs,” CNN reported.
The company is denying the claim.
“We believe the lawsuit is baseless, and we intend to vigorously defend ourselves and our brand,” said Bill Salzman, director of corporate communications for Nestle Purina PetCare, CNN reported.
The plaintiff, Frank Lucido of Discovery Bay, California, said he bought Beneful in December or January and shortly after, his German Shepherd became ill. Then his second dog, an English bulldog, was found dead, he said, CNN reported. And his third dog, a Labrador, became ill right around the same time.
He’s alleging in his suit that the company knew Beneful was harmful and sold it without properly testing that its ingredients — including propylene glycol and antifreeze compound for autos — were safe, court documents said, CNN reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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