COLUMBUS, Ohio - A new bill in the Ohio General Assembly would ban dog and cat remains from commercial pet food.
House Bill 560 would also ban remains of animals that had been chemically euthanized from pet food. Rep. Laura Lanese, the measure's sponsor, said that the euthanizing drug pentobarbital has turned up in pet food, and some vets have reported that animals get sick from eating it, as reported in Tuesday's Capitol Letter, cleveland.com's daily Statehouse newsletter.
"Veterinarians have reported for years it seems to be harder and harder to put down an animal," said Lanese, a Columbus-area Republican. "And it's because some of them might be building up a resistance due to the dog feed."
Lanese was tipped off that it's legal for dog and cat remains to be in the very food the live pets eat by DanaMarie Pannella, a Sharon Center attorney who specializes in animal law.
Pannella said that she and a client researched Ohio Department of Agriculture licenses of companies that specialize in collecting and processing animals that have been euthanized. While euthanized animals are considered unfit for human consumption, there's nothing in Ohio law preventing them from being sold to pet food manufacturers, Pannella said.
Indeed, some of the animal rendering companies indicated they use the carcasses or parts of the animals -- such as hearts and kidneys -- for animal feed, poultry meal or dog or mink food, according to Pannella's research.
Last month, wet dog food made by Orrville-based J.M. Smucker Co. brands Gravy Train, Kibbles 'N Bits, Ol' Roy and Skippy was recalled, after the FDA detected small amounts of pentobarbital. At the time, the government said preliminary tests indicated levels were too low to hurt pets.
Smucker recalls canned dog food containing potentially lethal drug
The company, in a statement shortly after the recall, said it uses fat sourced from cow, chicken and pig. DNA tests at the time of the recall ruled out the presence of cat, dog, horse, lamb, goat and turkey.
Smucker spokeswoman Maribeth Burns said the company has a long history of safe products, and it recently began a new testing protocol for pentobarbital in pet food.
"The proposed legislation reinforces our pet food manufacturing practices already in place," she said. "...We are committed to enhancing sourcing and supplier oversight procedures to ensure they are in compliance."
