Tainted pet food recalled from area stores
Prattsburgh couple mourns death of dogs
By ROB PRICE THE COURIER-ADVOCATE

PRATTSBURGH - Lois and Duane Vensel's dog Precious was a 18-year-old Shelty who had grown a little picky about her food. But the dog did enjoy the taste of Choice Morsels, and she was on a regular diet of the moist dog food in late February when she became ill.

"She lost weight real quick and had trouble going to the bathroom," Mrs. Vensel said. The symptoms lasted less than a week. Then the dog, whose registered name was Precious Wits Dancer, died.

Vensel figured the dog's death was due to her advanced age. She began feeding the Choice Morsels food to her six-year-old Rottweiler, Mayta, mixing it with the dog's dry food.

Mayta died in three days.

Now the Vensels wonder whether their pets were victims of a toxin that led to the recent recall of more than 60 million cans of dog and cat sold under different brand names but manufactured by a single Canadian company, Menu Foods of Ontario.

Mrs. Vensel had purchased a new supply of the Choice Morsels food from an area grocery store well before the March 17 recall notice. When she called the store last week, the manager, she says, confirmed the brand was included in the recall list.

"After this came out, I don't want to have anything to do with dog food," Mrs. Vensel told The Courier. "I'd just as soon feed my dogs people food."

Area grocery stores contacted by The Courier say they removed the pet food from the shelves March 17, the same day the recall notices were issued from Menu Foods. The company said the food had been manufactured in two plants located in Kansas and New Jersey between Dec. 3, 2006, and March 6, 2007.

"As soon as we were alerted to the recall, we began pulling the products from our shelves," said Tracy Pawelski, a spokesperson for Tops Friendly Markets.

Mary Zangrilli, a spokesperson for Jampole Communications, which represents Penn Traffic's P&C Foods, said Penn Traffic also received word March 17. "The products were removed immediately from the shelves," she said.

Both spokespersons noted the stores will provide refunds for customers who already had purchased the brands. Menu Foods is providing information on what pet foods are being recalled at www.menufoods.com/recall/index.html . Pet owners may also call 866-463-6738.

Media reports say the deaths so far of cats and dogs who ate the recalled brands have been traced to kidney failure, with a wheat gluten added for protein suspected as the cause.

But the Vensels are unlikely to know what exactly caused their pets' death. The Shelty was buried, and their veterinarian has advised them it's too late for an autopsy to determine the cause of death for their Rottweiler.

"Where do i go from here?" said Mrs. Vensel. "I've lost two dogs who have been family members, and it's hard. You find out afterward, and there's nothing you can do."