I won’t “bash” Walmart, but anytime I can buy local rather that purchase from Walmart, I do so. Why? Because I am a small business owner and prefer to support other small business owners when buying goods and services. I don’t boycot Walmart, but I don’t like them either.

Like Joy, I believe that this poisoning is our canary in the coal mine. Years ago Ross Perot described a giant sucking sound when he referred to NAFTA (import/export trade agreement.) The sad thing about Mr. Perot’s statement is that the giant sucking sound is the sound of life being sucked from unsuspecting Americans and their beloved pets. There is not yet any information to prove that this same product didn’t make its way into America’s human food. I urge everyone to become a label reader. It is up to us to protect ourselves and our furfriends. The government is too busy with helping oil companies make a disgusting profit to protect us any longer.

America USED to be the mother of the world. We were fairly self-sufficient and produced much of our own food here in the US. I believe we need to seriously examine a return to that self-sufficiency by pressuring our lawmakers to join lawmaker Durbin in his pro-active stance against the merchant-idiots of our world who seek nothing more than to boost their bottom line–the almighty DOLLAR.

Sadly, little Kenyon ate TWO of the foods on the list of poisoned foods. She passed to the Bridge in October 2006 with a very violent multi-organ-failure death. This may be pure coincidence, but who’s to say at this point? My tears sting just as bad today as they did 6 months ago, and my heart remains heavy. Now my Cinnamon has had some extremely nasty reactions to a premium high-priced dry dog food. Her kibble is not on the “list” but the same manufacturer pulled it’s canned food due to the poisoning. So, I have “pulled” that manufacturer’s kibble from my dog’s diet and I am relying on homemade dog food at least for now.

Like Joy, I have absolutely no problem calling to the carpet any retailer or manufacturer who has irresponsibly caused the illness or death of any of my loved ones whether they are human or animal. That’s all.

These suppliers could always say sorry not going to happen Walmart.
We won’t lower our standards in order to get your business!

Let the people making these foods be RESPONCIBLE for what they have created! Not Walmart or any other store that is selling a product they believe is safe!

I am not “smashing Wal-Mart” because they are on the list. I also am not letting Menu, the other pet food manufacturers, the gluten producers or any other link in this sordid business off the hook. I’ve mentioned other stores who sold Menu foods as their house brands. There is enough shame and guilt to go around.

I’m mentioning Wal-Mart in particular because it is the single most powerful retailer in the US, if not the world. Wal-Mart sets the rules for every other retailer and all their suppliers. And yes, Wal-Mart may be a symptom of a greedy society but it is also a driving force in more than driving down prices.

As a consultant, my other job so to speak, I work with large and small companies that have to deal with Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart runs their suppliers with an iron hand. I won’t bother you with the horror stories I’ve heard and seen of Wal-Mart bullying their suppliers to make things cheaper and cheaper.

Any supplier that bought Chinese wheat to save a few cents is guilty of recklessly endangering and killing our furbabies. I would NEVER let them off the hook for that!

I also would not blame retailers who carried the tainted food, unless they interfered with the recall or otherwise put our dogs and cats in danger. My question is did the constant pressure for cheaper prices cause the suppliers to close their eyes to the danger of using substandard food from a country that has no controls over food safety or quality? I would sincerely doubt that Wal-Mart told Menu Foods to use tainted wheat or wheat gluten. But what I have no doubt of is that Wal-Mart pressured Menu and their other suppliers to make their foods as cheaply as possible.

Did Wal-Mart set out to hurt dogs and cats? Of course not! I have no doubt that Wal-Mart management would even consider itself supporters of animal protection. And I applaud that and all the good they do in helping organizations.

As many people, myself included, have said, this massive killing of innocent pets is the early bell ringing out danger. Who knows the full impact of this tainted Chinese wheat and wheat gluten on the North American and now European food streams? But if we allow the blame to fall on just the easiest targets we miss the opportunity to identity the social cancer that really is at the root of the problem — greed and fear. Greed is so easily evident. We can all see that without looking very hard.

But the fear is what feeds the greed. Those companies with the power threaten those companies that are just as cravenly greedy. Then, even if there were people within those companies who would like to sound warnings, they can’t for fear of losing their jobs.

There are many, many good people working at the Wal-Marts around the world. Wal-Mart is not an entitiy with a soul and a single mind; it is a corporation that can be influenced by people like us. Let’s appeal to the humanity of those within Wal-Mart to rethink their policies.

Once again, what are the costs of those lower prices? Our furbabies lives? Our children’s lives? Our lives?

Let’s not make it easy for those who should bear responsibility at every level. If their is guilt, let’s shine a light on it and take an honest look at the whole system.

I have nothing personal against Wal-Mart. They do a lot of good for many community groups. But where they are at fault then we should tell them. And where we want to blind ourselves and let ourselves take the easy road of blaming the most obvious culprits, then we too need a light shone on us. Follow the trail of guilt all the way back past the gluten. Look for the root and not just the stalk.

Once again, I thank you for barking in and wish only the best for your furbabies!

Why would they do that? I’m sure Sunshine management wants to bring the products back on the market after the recall. They probably don’t want to have pictures of the recalled products hanging around on blogs like this one. Although they will probably bring back clean, untainted products (that’s my hope at least) people’s memories are funny things. They will still remember the pictures and may no give those products a second chance. They will see the packages and for some reason feel bad about them. This way, no pictures means that people don’t have that “bad: picture in their minds while shopping for dog treats. Names are much harder to remember, especially when you’re talking about pet treats that all seem to have versions of the same words. SO the Sunshine management doesn’t have to worry about you remembering the names.

And who do you think was savvy enough to think this far ahead? My bet is the Wal-Mart PR team. They have a lot of experience fighting and molding public opinion. You do remember that one of the more prominant brands of treats made by Sunshine don’t you?