# Class Action Lawsuit Evo, Innova, Calif Naturals, others



## Swampcollie (Sep 6, 2007)

False claims in advertising? 

Noooooo, tell me it isn't so. (tounge planted firmly in cheek) Why, they're such highly rated products (6 stars) by those popular internet rating sites..


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## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

Claimed their food were human grade. Court found otherwise from what I read. I only fed one bag of California Natural LBP. By the time the lawyer fees come out I would probably owe the lawyers.


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

C'mon, is anyone really surprised by this? How many pet foods aren't guilty of gravely misleading advertising. I guess it depends on whether those misleading statements can be directly disproven, as must be the case here. 

It'll be interesting to see whether this has an effect on legislation regarding pet food - am I being naive? Lol


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

jackie, I wouldn't limit your comment to PET foods.....I think it's pretty much everyone gets away with whatever they can, regardless of the industry. 
(has degree in marketing....)


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> jackie, I wouldn't limit your comment to PET foods.....I think it's pretty much everyone gets away with whatever they can, regardless of the industry.
> (has degree in marketing....)


You know, I have thought about going back for a degree in marketing - mostly to learn exactly how they create a market, sell the need and then sell products that are aimed at target populations; and how they can get away with their advertising methods LOL but somehow my employers don't see that as job related (I work in design & development of financial accounting systems)


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Honestly it's very interesting. But it does make me laugh at some of the things that I see people accept as truth when it's obvious that it's just a brilliant marketing campaign, including some big trends in the dog food industry right now.




Sunrise said:


> You know, I have thought about going back for a degree in marketing - mostly to learn exactly how they create a market, sell the need and then sell products that are aimed at target populations; and how they can get away with their advertising methods LOL but somehow my employers don't see that as job related (I work in design & development of financial accounting systems)


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

totally OT---some things that failed the first time they were introduced because they weren't marketed right included disposable diapers and boxed cake mixes. 
The boxed cake mixes were "just add water" type, but they failed miserably because women (at that time it didn't include men) felt they needed to *do something* to feel that they had *made the cake*. They were too easy! So although it's quite simple to make a complete mix that tastes the same, they had to have consumers add eggs, oil, and water or the mixes wouldn't sell. 
Interesting stuff.


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## Wendy427 (Apr 4, 2009)

hotel4dogs said:


> totally OT---some things that failed the first time they were introduced because they weren't marketed right included disposable diapers and boxed cake mixes.
> The boxed cake mixes were "just add water" type, but they failed miserably because women (at that time it didn't include men) felt they needed to *do something* to feel that they had *made the cake*. They were too easy! So although it's quite simple to make a complete mix that tastes the same, they had to have consumers add eggs, oil, and water or the mixes wouldn't sell.
> Interesting stuff.


Now, THAT's interesting!


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## Florabora22 (Nov 30, 2008)

hotel4dogs said:


> Honestly it's very interesting. But it does make me laugh at some of the things that I see people accept as truth when it's obvious that it's just a brilliant marketing campaign, including some big trends in the dog food industry right now.


Yeah, I always have a private chuckle at "Certified organic!" labels and "Cage Free Chickens!" labels.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

my personal favorite on dog foods is "holistic". The dictionary definition of the word is:
*holistic *(həʊˈlɪstɪk) —
*adj *1. of or relating to a doctrine of holism 
*2. **of or relating to the medical consideration of the complete person, physically and psychologically, in the treatment of a disease* 

And if we go on to look up "holism", we find:

1. any doctrine that a system may have properties over and above those of its parts and their organization 
2. See also alternative medicine the treatment of any subject as a whole integrated system, esp, in medicine, the consideration of the complete person, physically and psychologically, in the treatment of a disease 

Well I don't know about anyone else, but I sure am glad that the dog foods are able to address any psychological and/or spiritual needs my dog might have.
For pete's sake.




kdmarsh said:


> Yeah, I always have a private chuckle at "Certified organic!" labels and "Cage Free Chickens!" labels.


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## Ljilly28 (Jan 22, 2008)

I feed Innova Large Breed Puppy sometimes- bummer.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

Join the lawsuit, maybe you'll get a few dollars!
To be honest Jill, I don't think it really effects the quality of the food, I"m sure the food is fine. Just isn't the "human grade" that they claimed it to be. Nor are most pet foods, no big deal.




Ljilly28 said:


> I feed Innova Large Breed Puppy sometimes- bummer.


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Any "meal" is not human grade, just by the definition of the meal. So I've never understood the claim from the get-go. Personally, I don't give any thought to Holistic anything.... just another marketing tool imo.... like "new and improved". I look at the ingredients and nutritional analysis to make my decisions. That being said, we've been using the Precise Holistic line and it's been great for all the crew... the first time they've all done well on one food!


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## Radarsdad (Apr 18, 2011)

jackie_hubert said:


> C'mon, is anyone really surprised by this? How many pet foods aren't guilty of gravely misleading advertising. I guess it depends on whether those misleading statements can be directly disproven, as must be the case here.
> 
> It'll be interesting to see whether this has an effect on legislation regarding pet food - am I being naive? Lol


I bet ya'll Professional Wrestling is fake too. You really don't think majority of large dog food producers would fudge a little bit do ya.

I myself am waiting on the Mayan calendar thing. I think they just read the dates wrong.:doh:


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## Deb_Bayne (Mar 18, 2011)

A big phone carrier here, Bell, has a lawsuit against them for false and misleading advertising, more and more companies need to have this happen for the marketing industry to change their ways.


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## AmberSunrise (Apr 1, 2009)

I am actually old enough (gasp) to remember when most dogs were fed from the dining room tables. They ran around outside with us and ate very similar to us although they got the bones  I can remember the discussions of my parents to try the 'complete and nutritionally balanced' promises and the marketing appeal for my struggling parents to feed our dogs quality food for less money. 

Actually, I have come full circle I guess since I spend less money now to provide my dogs with human quality food than I would spend on a high quality kibble LOL 

I not only struggle with what to feed my dogs, but what to feed myself since marketing is truly powerful. 

Edit to add: And I do scratch my head wondering: If we can buy complete and nutrionally balanced dogfood, why would switching to another brand cause their diet to become unbalanced? 



hotel4dogs said:


> Honestly it's very interesting. But it does make me laugh at some of the things that I see people accept as truth when it's obvious that it's just a brilliant marketing campaign, including some big trends in the dog food industry right now.


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## jackie_hubert (Jun 2, 2010)

hotel4dogs said:


> jackie, I wouldn't limit your comment to PET foods.....I think it's pretty much everyone gets away with whatever they can, regardless of the industry.
> (has degree in marketing....)


Haha, I thought that too as I was writing the post. 

I also agree that this lawsuit would not keep me from feeding Natura products. 

Btw, I think in Canada they don't advertise their foods as human grade. Evo 95% canned is part of our cats regular rotation and I've never read that on the label - but perhaps I'm so jaded that I glossed it over since I don't believe it anyways. He gets mostly raw anyways and that IS human grade.


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## MyBentley (May 5, 2009)

The lawsuit is basically a means for making money.So many marketing claims for human and pet products are often less than scientifically true. But most of the public knows that anyway.

Any dog food that contains any type of "meal" cannot be considered human grade as an end product. "Meal" is made by rendering which requires the incoming meat to be denatured (contaminated) to make it unfit for human consumption


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## Willow52 (Aug 14, 2009)

Hank's been eating Innova since we brought him home. He's done great on it and I have no plans to change unless he starts having issues. 

Honestly, I don't think we can be absolutely certain of any ingredient with any brand unless we raise our own food products and prepare at home.


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## hotel4dogs (Sep 29, 2008)

I really don't think the quality of their food is in question at all, it's their advertising practices that have come under fire.



Willow52 said:


> Hank's been eating Innova since we brought him home. He's done great on it and I have no plans to change unless he starts having issues.
> 
> Honestly, I don't think we can be absolutely certain of any ingredient with any brand unless we raise our own food products and prepare at home.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

jackie_hubert said:


> C'mon, is anyone really surprised by this? How many pet foods aren't guilty of gravely misleading advertising. I guess it depends on whether those misleading statements can be directly disproven, as must be the case here.


Or misleading practices altogether? 

I wasn't going to say anything on this thread since I don't feed any of those foods, but on my lunchbreak I was looking at an uber special naturally holistic kibble developed by a DVM and sold/propped by a trainer on a obedience training website I was looking at. 

This dog food just like BB and other higher end dog foods has a comparision option on their website, so you can compare their dog food to other food on the market. 

One thing I notice with all of these comparision tools is they never compare themselves to other higher end premium kibbles. They compare themselves to grocery brand kibbles or they pick and choose the formulas within certain brands that make their own look all the more healthy and holistic. :doh: They never compare themselves against their direct competition. 

Of COURSE BB will look a lot better on a chart against Bill Jac or Pedigree... :bowl:


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