A class-action lawsuit filed in Fayette County against Canadian-based Menu Foods Ltd. concerning tainted pet food might be transferred to the federal court system.
An attorney for Menu Foods filed paperwork this week to enter the case in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh, although James T. Davis, a lawyer for some Fayette customers, said he anticipates the case eventually will be taken up in another federal jurisdiction.
Lori L. Wilson, of Georges, originally filed the suit in April, alleging her kitten, Faith, became ill from eating Special Kitty wet-style cat food.
In August, Donald and Delores Stimmel, of Wharton, and Ruth Beal, of Dunbar Township, added their names to the complaint.
The Stimmels' dogs, Cosmo and Bino, died from eating tainted dog food, according to the lawsuit. Beal alleges her dog, Speedy, has been ill since eating the company's products.
Davis said is he representing several families from the region who believe tainted food sickened their pets.
"I think they're very confident it was related to the pet food, or they wouldn't have come forward," he said.
Menu Foods is the largest North American producer of wet foods for dogs and cats.
More than 100 brands of pet food have been recalled since March 16 because they were contaminated with melamine. An unknown number of dogs and cats have been sickened or have died after eating chemical-laced pet food.
The recall includes "cuts and gravy" pet food, as well as other products that were not made with the contaminated wheat gluten supplied by ChemNutra Inc., but were manufactured during the period the chemical-laced gluten was used.
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