Debbie Gibson has five dogs and four cats. And, like many pet owners in Owen County and across the country, last month’s recall on dozens of pet food labels left her scrambling to make sure the food she fed to her animals was safe.
Gibson feeds her cats Friskies, a cat food not listed in the recall, and she has switched her dogs over to a “good-life recipe,” that she said is organic.
The string of recalls, including additions to the list made in the past week, began after an FDA test determined a batch of wheat gluten imported from China — and used in the gravy of some wet foods —was contaminated with melamine, a chemical used in plastics and pesticides.
The FDA has received more than 10,000 complaints regarding dead or sick pets, according to the agency’s Web site. The agency issued a statement last week that said, in addition to naming more cat food brands under the voluntary recall, some retailers still might have contaminated pet food on store shelves.
The recall affected wet foods and pet treats manufactured by Menu Foods, Del Monte Pet Products, Hills Pet Nutrition, Nestle-Purina PetCare Company and Sunshine Mills, Inc., and were sold under major brand names such as Iams, Ol’ Roy and Alpo.
“I’m out here reading labels,” Gibson said of the approach she has taken to shopping for pet food since the recall. “It’s made it pretty difficult on me.”
Gibson did have a package of dog treats on the recall list, prompting her to make a phone call to see if the food might be tainted.
“I called the vet office because I had  the Barkin’ Bacon,” she said. But the treats had a different UPC number than the ones on the recall list. “Either the good Lord was watching over me, or something, because I was getting the food that wasn’t recalled.”
Gibson said it upsets her that more was not done beforehand to monitor pet food production.
“This is ridiculous,” she said. “This very well could’ve been our food.”
She has written to her representatives in Congress to seek government action on the issue.
“I’d like to see these labels changed so it’s more like our food and we know what’s in it,” she said, adding that she believes labels should inform consumers whether a product is made in the United States and not merely “a product of the U.S.A.”
The FDA, which monitors production of food for humans, pets and livestock, requires pet food to be made in sanitary conditions and contain truthful labeling, among other restrictions.
As Gibson and other pet owners checked labels and sought alternatives after news broke of the contaminated food, local retailers worked to remove items from store shelves as the recalls were issued.
A.J. Simon, manager of Save-A-Lot in Owenton, said the store gets e-mails from its company headquarters in St. Louis regarding recalls that employees are required to check daily. He said the store received an e-mail on March 23 regarding the pet food recall and pulled products from the shelves the same day.
“It really hasn’t affected us much,” he said of the impact the recall has had on pet food sales, though he noted that more people are buying dry food for their pets. “I think everybody’s a little more cautious about buying any dog food — or any cat food — in a canned variety.”
Simon said Save-A-Lot sells several varieties of pet food, including one manufactured by Menu Foods that was listed under the recall.
However, he said, the brand is not among the store’s most popular pet food choices.
Nonetheless, “a lot of people are confused on which brands are recalled,” Simon said, noting that the store will give refunds on pet foods — even those not on the recall list.
Save-A-Lot has a number for customers regarding the recall: (866)-895-2708.
“I haven’t heard a lot from my customers,” said Save-Way owner Malone Bourne. “We just basically pulled everything and shipped it back to our wholesaler.”
He said he believes the recall had more of an effect on larger chain stores.
“I’ve not had any complaints,” he said of the recall. “I guess people just understand.”
Veterinarian Gary Minch said some people had called his office with concerns about the recall, but he believes the threat has been over hyped.
“It’s kind of like mad cow disease,” he said. “Most of this stuff is blown out of proportion. The media (are) having a field day with this. There are a lot of other things out there killing more than the pet food thing.”
However, Gibson said the way she shops for pet food will retain a more serious approach, sharply contrasting her trips to the pet food aisle prior to the recall.
“I never looked at the label,” she said of how she used to buy pet food. “I just picked it up, hoping they would eat it.”

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