Recall: JustFoodForDogs Voluntarily Recalls 3 Products

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The following is a letter from JustFoodForDogs founder Shawn Buckley, which was confirmed for accuracy by Pet Age with a JustFoodForDogs customer service representative:

Dear Friends, Customers, Veterinarians, Partners and Staff,

Honesty. Transparency. Pet advocacy. These are three of the Core Values that make JustFoodForDogs who and what we are. Most days living up to these standards is easy. We use only the best ingredients; we open our kitchens to the public; we treat every dog as if he were one of our own; and we regard every pet parent as family.

This week has been more challenging. A few days ago, a diligent customer reported that our Turducken special made her dogs sick with vomiting and diarrhea. The dogs made a full recovery after a day, once switching their food to one of our daily diets; they did not receive veterinary care. Less than 72 hours ago, after the returned food confirmed positive for Listeria monocytogenes, we informed our Turducken customers about the only recall in the history of our company. Since then we have worked tirelessly to conduct extensive testing and a thorough investigation to establish the root cause of this issue. We promised an update.

This is that update.

It is genuinely heartbreaking to report that we have just received preliminary test results that suggest our human grade green bean supply was sent to us contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes. Healthy dogs may experience no signs but some, including elderly or weakened dogs, may experience vomiting and/or diarrhea. Severe disease from Listeria in dogs is rare. Listeria monocytogenes is more concerning in humans, if consumed.

The health of your dogs is always our primary concern. For this reason, and based on the preliminary results, we are proactively and voluntarily taking the following actions:

• Expanding the Turducken recall to all batch dates
• Recalling our only two other recipes that contain green beans: Beef & Russet Potato and Fish & Sweet Potato
• Notifying the FDA as this likely affects a broader human food supply of green beans

If you have fed these recipes and your dog is not currently experiencing any problems, do not worry. If you have any of the food listed above, please dispose of it and do not feed it to your dog. We will provide an immediate and unconditional credit to your account for all purchases made of these recipes between November 1st, 2017 and January 14th, 2018, upon request.

To make it easiest on you and to avoid waiting on hold, simply email us at [email protected] with the first and last name on your account. We will process your credit and reply with the confirmed amount within 72 hours. That credit will then be available for one year from the date it was credited.

We know that many dogs rely on and love these recipes. Therefore, we are immediately preparing Beef & Russet Potato and Fish & Sweet Potato recipes without green beans. We expect to have these available by Wednesday at all locations. Our veterinarians ensure us that this is an appropriate temporary solution. In the meantime, we have plenty of recipes available that are made without green beans, including:

Balanced Remedy

Shepherd’s Pie

Chicken & White Rice

Turkey & Whole Wheat Macaroni

Joint & Skin Support

Venison & Squash

Lamb & Brown Rice

All Veterinary Support Recipes

These recipes are not covered by the recall and may continue to be fed to your dogs.

I am deeply sorry for this outcome. I spoke to one of our wonderful customers on Friday and she told me something that stuck with me – “we don’t expect JustFoodForDogs to be perfect Shawn, just perfectly honest.” Good or bad, you have our word that we will always be entirely transparent with our customers.

We founded JustFoodForDogs to increase the length and quality of life for as many pets as possible. While this issue may not be our fault, the safety and efficacy of every meal is our responsibility. As we work with our restaurant supplier, we will be implementing greater controls to prevent this from happening in the future. If you would like to speak to any member of our executive team, please feel free to reach us directly on our emails or personal cell phones (listed below).

• Amy Dampier, Vice President Retail Sales, [email protected] or cell 619-540-3484
• Ben Stickney, Vice President Operations, [email protected] or cell 757-635-7660
• Dr. Oscar Chavez, BVetMed, MRCVS, Chief Medical Officer, [email protected] or cell 714-206-8751
• Carey Tischler, Chief Executive Officer, [email protected] or cell 847-942-2692

Or you can reach me at [email protected] or cell 949-378-2927.

Sincerely,

Shawn Buckley, Founder