Just Food for Dogs First Recall Ever

Recall notice provided by Just Food for Dogs…

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 pretty 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.

Today is more challenging than that. Today, sadly, I announce the only recall in the history of our company. And, in keeping with our core values, we will be providing the maximum (as opposed to the minimum) amount of information and guidance on this matter.

As of yesterday afternoon, we have confirmed that one batch of our Turducken special (made in our West Hollywood kitchen and code dated WH 11/18/18) tested positive for Listeria monocytogenes. We found it because one of our diligent customers reported that the food had made her dogs sick for a day with diarrhea and vomiting. (The dogs affected have made a full recovery after switching their food to one of our daily diets; they did not receive veterinary care). To be clear, this was the only case of illness reported, and severe illness in dogs by Listeria is rare. When we get reports from customers or veterinarians about potential food-caused illness in pets, we always take them seriously and follow up with the appropriate action, including lab testing. In almost eight years, we have never, not once, had a sample come back positive for pathogens. This one was different and we wanted to immediately let all of our Turducken customers know about it. It should also be noted that this form of Listeria can be harmful to humans if consumed.

If you are in possession of Turducken from West Hollywood with the above date, please email or call us at support@justfoodfordogs.com or 1-866-726-9509 and we will provide an immediate refund. While we have no reason to be concerned that other batches of Turducken were affected, we completely understand if you have this product and would like to return or exchange it for any reason.

Today we are notifying all Turducken customers who may have been affected and we are simultaneously conducting a series of additional tests to better understand the situation – the results of which we will share with all of our customers in less than 72 hrs from now.

As I sit here writing this memo with our executive team, it dawns on me that every recipient of this letter and all of us in this room have one very important commonality – we love our dogs and would always do what is best for them. Please know that, starting with my own Albert and Evelyne, we all continue to feed JustFoodForDogs with confidence. If you have any questions or concerns that have not been answered here please do not hesitate to email us at support@justfoodfordogs.com or 1-866-726-9509. If you prefer, you can reach me on my personal cell phone at (949) 378-2927. Or, if you would like to talk to our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Oscar Chavez, BVetMed, MRCVS , he can be reached on his personal cell at (714) 206-8751. Alternatively, if you would like to speak with our CEO, Carey Tischler, he can be reached on his personal cell at (847) 942-2692.

We sincerely apologize for any concern or burden this may have caused you. Despite this unfortunate incident, we want to assure you that everyone at JustFoodForDogs is, as always, 100% committed to helping pets Iive longer, healthier lives.

Shawn Buckley
Founder, JustFoodForDogs

And follow up message from Just Food for Dogs…

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 support@justfoodfordogs.com with the first and last name on your account. We will process your credit and reply with the confirmed amount within 72 hours.

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, amyd@justfoodfordogs.com
or cell 619-540-3484
• Ben Stickney, Vice President Operations, bens@justfoodfordogs.com
or cell 757-635-7660
• Dr. Oscar Chavez, BVetMed, MRCVS, Chief Medical Officer,
drchavez@justfoodfordogs.com or cell 714-206-8751
• Carey Tischler, Chief Executive Officer, careyt@justfoodfordogs.com
or cell 847-942-2692

Or you can reach me at shawnb@justfoodfordogs.com or cell 949-378-2927.

Shawn Buckley
Founder, JustFoodForDogs