Purina: No, Pets Aren't Dying After Eating Our Food

Social media is abuzz with reports that dogs and cats are getting sick, some of them fatally, after eating Purina Pro Plan food—allegations the pet food company is now forcefully rebutting. "During the past few days, we have seen an increase in consumers who are scared and reaching out to ask if we have a product recall or issue after seeing this rumor," a spokesperson tells the New York Times. "In response, we are informing them that these rumors are not true and that our food is safe to feed." She says the company is "considering other avenues to address this directly with those who started the rumor." The company also issued a statement last week assuring customers that "false statements may be creating unnecessary stress for pet parents."

The Purina rep explains to the Times that the company has no data showing a pattern of problems with any of their products. On a Facebook group devoted to the subject, people have reported the deaths of 51 animals, with dozens more sick, and on TikTok, videos with anecdotal reports of pet illnesses have been viewed millions of times. Some pet owners are calling for a boycott of the pet food brand. Purina's last confirmed recall was a voluntary one in March of last year due to potentially elevated levels of vitamin D in some of the brand's products, KXAN reports. Purina says there's no correlation between that incident and the current rumors, which it says may be fueled by people who are "trying to create chaos and distrust of certain brands as an opportunity to sell their own products." (More Nestle Purina stories.)