The project, tentatively called Pet Owners Food Safety & Nutrition Network, is being organized to perform as a 501(c)(3) Non Profit Organization, in accordance with those guidelines as required by law, and donations to it will be tax-deductible. That status is a lengthy process and will not happen overnight for us. The benefits of diligence in formation and the amount of time to establish it are worth it for the protection offered its donors, members, board of directors and officers.

The Network is diligently working to obtain legal guidance to provide guarantees in writing to the best of our ability:
1.) That the lab test results will not be published in a manner or in a form subjecting them to be copied/distributed by others
2.)  That the lab test results are not to be used in litigation by any board member, officer or director, or member
3.)  That the membership agreements contain affirmations providing the same protection regarding published lab test results
4.) Written and affirmed statements that there is no conflict of interest of any officer or board member or member in obtaining the lab reports.

We wish to avoid, as well as we can, subjecting pet owners to the potential for the reports to be extracted from the Public Domain/Website and used in litigation, present and/or future by parties known or unknown or for the owners of such lab test results to be put in the position of having those test results being used as exhibits in litigation present and/or future and the potential of being called as material witnesses by parties known or unknown.

The Network is diligently striving to develop a focal point for pet owners and nutritionists seeking knowledge and information about food safety & nutrition and to present that to members.

We are committed to educating pet owners, developing and maintaining informational resources, monitoring issues regarding pet food safety and nutrition and ensuring involvement in related legislation.   The Network will interface with and form strategic alliances with other companion animal networks. 

Network Membership benefits will include access to restricted areas of the Network.

Please let us know if you are interested in participating in this exciting journey to construct a more positive future in pet food safety & nutrition.


Currently we are seeking

• Those with website design (Flash & HTML) and graphic artist skills to assist us in the Network development,

• Founding members to assist with by-laws, member agreements, code of ethics, etc.,

• Founding members to assist with the development of State level networking & information resources.
  
  For Information Contact:  Petowner_network at bellsouth.net

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One of the priority things we'd like to see happen are all of the pet food nutritionists, authors, organizations coming together on common ground as a huge group of professionals and pet owners.

We'd like to have nutrition writers doing articles or allow us to us their articles on a monthly basis to build a library of information. As Advisors to guide us, to help us find ways to make changes happen, prioritize the changes needed and to continue to educate us....to present a united front to the legislators on state and national levels to promote pet food nutrition and safety, and the treats, any edible products.

The Network is not wanting to appear or be in competition with anybody, it is deeply felt it has its place as an organization - networked; a place of common ground with common goals. I feel we're reached a point to transition to facilitating change with the combined knowledge of all the writers who have given us knowledge and now could help us take the next step to positive change. That will also open a new door to new knowledge and a need for more books and articles going forward.

The education and expertise of all the authors can be critical in helping facilitate higher standards, current nutrient evaluations, standardized nutrition and the real protein, the real nourishment that our animals are offered. 

Our pets have been the garbage disposals for many industries and we need to have them treated with humane safe food sources and equivalent enforcements, protections and the nutrition guidelines updated. Self-regulation by the pet food industry has not worked very well. Their focus is competitive and is not directed to a united desire to present current nutrition guidelines or receptive to enforcement and protection of the animals health.. we've listened to ads and marketing, now we need to see the science and the commitment from them.

If you have the time to communicate with other authors and see if they are interested in participating as a network & a united front to help accomplish this, we would be so grateful.

To have the authors come together presenting this and their points relating to the needs, nutrition priorities & focus points.. the turning point in nutrition that can be affected by this - it would be such a major step in the right direction & protection of our pets.

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Here's the basic premise of what I believe deeply is the next step needed for pet owners - to form a nonprofit consumer protection, education resource for Safe & Nutritious Pet Foods. It will require a commitment from pet owners at all levels.

This is the bare bones concept. It is a starting place.

Never Again will we be distracted by glossy ads, fancy ad campaigns and marketing hype responses to consumer inquiries; Nor will we believe without proof.

We will follow the transparency, the failure/success of self-regulation by the pet food industry and their lobbyists and let pet owners know about it and how they can contribute to the safety of the pet foods they purchase.

If we cannot depend on the pet food industry, the pet food lobbyists, manufacturers, suppliers and our government agencies to provide & regulate safe & nutritious products, then we must be able to depend on each other to achieve that goal.

We also have to take responsibility as pet owners for contributing to this happening. We didn't know about the lack of regulations - We trusted. Now, we know more than we ever wanted to know about pet food & treats & toys & utensils. And, sadly about rendering,  industry and government.

The cover story of the Pet Food Industry Magazine, September 2007, "Genetic Tools Boost Palatability" should sound deafening warning bells to us as pet owners. We know that our pets have internal, instinctive responses to rancid fats and amino acid imbalances in their foods. Do we sit silently and allow that manipulation to override the animals instinct to protect itself?  Palatants should also be included in the standards and disclosure of ingredients shown on the labels. Biotechnology is an issue in our pet foods & treats too.

HR3580 is "nice" but the sickening truth about this can be found when we understand that the nutrient studies are OLD. The Pet Food Industry itself brought this to our attention on page 54 of the September 2007 magazine edition.

Dr. George Fahey Jr., Univ. of Illinois indicated that there is "the lack of a comprehensive, accurate, up-to-date nutrient database for the various ingredients used in companion animal diets. He noted that the last real nutrient database was published more than 25 years ago, and the current National Research Council publication does not, by design, fully cover the topic." The article, by writer Greg Aldrich, goes on to indicate "It is unlikely the situation will change any time soon as none of the governmental or nongovernmental entities have expressed any interest."

http://www.petfoodindustry-digital.com/petfoodindustry/200709/

Frankly I don't see how a law is worth very much calling for ingredient standards built on ancient data and without any regulatory authority to make sure it happens and to ensure that it is based on current science. It's time to get familiar with AAFCO and the policies there  http://www.aafco.org/ and to find out from your State agencies what their policies are and what authority they have to make sure this is prioritized and happens.

We need to see the science and the industry taking the initiative or we have accomplished very little. We need our government agencies to have regulatory authority and exercise it. We can't continue to allow the industry to govern our government.

The self-regulation by the Pet Food Industry hasn't worked very well yet. We can say "it's their responsibility" until we are blue in the face and not see changes - or see another of our pets die, sickened or have an unknown prognosis on health issues.

We also have a choice - sit back and wait to see how they plan to accomplish that, or step up to the challenge to monitor and be involved in the process.

If you want changes, and real valid ones, instead of marketing hype & fancy ads, then accept the challenge and get involved - do something!

We're at a crossroad.

After the first six months of 2007 we can no longer just point fingers at the government and the pet food industry.

We have to point at ourselves also - accept our own responsibility and become active in Constructing a Positive, Safe Future for the sake of our Pets Nutrition & Health.

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Pet Owners Food Safety & Nutrition Network

Never Again will we be distracted by glossy ads, fancy ad campaigns and marketing hype responses to consumer inquiries; Nor will we believe without proof.

We will follow the transparency, the failure/success of self-regulation by the pet food industry and their lobbyists and let pet owners know about it and how they can contribute to the safety of the pet foods they purchase.

If we cannot depend on the pet food industry, the pet food lobbyists, manufacturers, suppliers and our government agencies to provide & regulate safe & nutritious products, then we must be able to depend on each other to achieve that goal.

Mission: 

Pet Owners Food Safety & Nutrition Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing a better world for pets through safe and nutritious food options.  We are committed to educating pet owners, developing and maintaining informational resources, monitoring issues regarding pet food safety and nutrition and ensuring involvement in related legislation.   The Network will interface with and form strategic alliances with other companion animal networks. 

Pet Nutrition and Safety from the level of Consumer Action, Awareness and Resources to monitor the impact of the regulations and enforcement that begins with AAFCO standards, the enforcement of those standards at state levels and the national levels.

To seek more current standards of nutrition, higher standards, uniform standards. 

Vision:

To Provide the impetus for all areas of the Pet Food Industry to update nutritional guidelines, product safety & testing standards and market responsibility.

To Provide the common ground where pet nutritionists, pet owners and other organizations can come together under the basic concept that our animals need safe nutritious foods and with a voice that can be  heard by the pet food industry and regulatory agencies.

The common good of such actions can be found in the realization that the quality of the nutrition and safety of pet foods is a mirroring, in many aspects, of the condition of the foods on OUR plates.
 
Goals:

1.      To become a local source of information, education and assistance for pet owners by state. 
2.      To consolidate on a national basis a perspective of the state of pet food safety and nutrition, laws, regulations and enforcement.
3.      Provide a secure means for reporting both private and state testing results specifically for pet foods, treats, supplements, vitamins, flavorings, colorings, Palatants, toys and food utensils.  This will include:

a.      Providing a secure means to issue/post analysis results for individuals who have private testing done. 

b.      The Network will need to have legal review and formalized protocols established in order to protect the pet owner and the Network. 

c.      The purpose of establishing this database for testing results is solely to alert pet owners to potential issues. 

d.      The objective of this database is not to be used as a means to attack the pet food industry.

e.      Test results maintained in this database may not be sufficient to file a lawsuit or be used by other parties with interest to a lawsuit. Our goal is not to provide legal documents but to maintain alert notices.  Positive & Negative test results will be posted.  Inconsistency in the production of pet foods - this has already alerted us to cross contamination, cross-over batches and the various production issues that causes one sample to not be consistent with the next due to mixing and other issues at the manufacturing level.

f.      The information provided in this database will not be used to subject any pet owner or testing facility to harassment by anyone.

4.      The Network will establish an account to assist with the funding of  testing of pet foods for actual usable nutrition, adherence to AAFCO standards, labeling issues, and ingredient and additive safety issues.  The results of these tests will also be reported through the Network database.

5.     The Network will seek to develop programs for Children to teach them about pet nutrition and health. The results of that can also provide them will a foundation not only for the care of their pets, but also themselves.

6.      The Network is committed to strive for and support uniform state laws and regulation enforcement of pet food safety and nutrition in addition to increasing nutritional and safety testing programs by both state and national agencies.  The Network will also support organizations that are focused primarily in political action relative to pet food and nutrition issues.  AAFCO standards are not enforced, foods are not tested nor is pet food regulated across the states in a uniform and priority manner.
 
Structure:

The Network will be created on a national level, however, there will also be regional and state chapters.  This set-up will ensure that pet owners have a resource center where they can actually call or visit a representative to provide support and assistance on state and local agency contacts. 

The national office will be the foundation for the Network and will provide resources for creation and development of educational and informational materials along with the overall administration of business matters.  The regional and state level will provide a direct point of contact and assistance and support for pet owners.
 
The Network National office will be dedicated to:

1.      Consolidation of all state related information
2.      Providing a database for testing results
3.      Developing and maintaining informational and educational materials for pet owners
4.      Establishing all by-laws, procedures and protocols for the effective operation of the organization
5.      Overall business management of the Network. 
6.      Development and maintenance of a website for overall organization with links to regional or state chapters

The Regional and State Chapters will be dedicated to:

1.      Learning State laws regarding animal feeds
2.      Familiarization with local agencies for pet food safety and nutrition
3.      Monitoring of state laws and enforcement applicable to pet foods
4.      Increasing the number of  pet food products being tested under state laws for compliance
5.      Creating and maintaining a State database of informational and educational materials for pet owners
6.      Development of local meetings for pet owners for support, education, and fund raising
7.      Development and maintenance of the website for the specific state's information

Membership:

The Network will establish membership levels, fees and donations.  The Network will also have available sponsorships for industry members such as retailers and veterinarians, nutritionists, authors, etc.  These contributions will be utilized to support the Goals of the Network.
 

H.R 3580

This Act may be cited as the `Food and Drug Administration Amendments Act of 2007'.

TITLE X--FOOD SAFETY

SEC. 1002. ENSURING THE SAFETY OF PET FOOD.

(a) Processing and Ingredient Standards- Not later than 2 years after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Health and Human Services (referred to in this title as the `Secretary'), in consultation with the Association of American Feed Control Officials and other relevant stakeholder groups, including veterinary medical associations, animal health organizations, and pet food manufacturers, shall by regulation establish--

(1) ingredient standards and definitions with respect to pet food;

(2) processing standards for pet food; and

(3) updated standards for the labeling of pet food that include nutritional and ingredient information.

(b) Early Warning Surveillance Systems and Notification During Pet Food Recalls- Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary shall establish an early warning and surveillance system to identify adulteration of the pet food supply and outbreaks of illness associated with pet food. In establishing such system, the Secretary shall--

(1) consider using surveillance and monitoring mechanisms similar to, or in coordination with, those used to monitor human or animal health, such as the Foodborne Diseases Active Surveillance Network (FoodNet) and PulseNet of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food Emergency Response Network of the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture, and the National Animal Health Laboratory Network of the Department of Agriculture;

(2) consult with relevant professional associations and private sector veterinary hospitals;

(3) work with the National Companion Animal Surveillance Program, the Health Alert Network, or other notification networks as appropriate to inform veterinarians and relevant stakeholders during any recall of pet food; and

(4) use such information and conduct such other activities as the Secretary deems appropriate.

SEC. 1003. ENSURING EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS DURING A RECALL.

The Secretary shall, during an ongoing recall of human or pet food regulated by the Secretary--

(1) work with companies, relevant professional associations, and other organizations to collect and aggregate information pertaining to the recall;

(2) use existing networks of communication, including electronic forms of information dissemination, to enhance the quality and speed of communication with the public; and

(3) post information regarding recalled human and pet foods on the Internet Web site of the Food and Drug Administration in a single location, which shall include a searchable database of recalled human foods and a searchable database of recalled pet foods, that is easily accessed and understood by the public.