Federal Grand Jury Indicts Pet Food Importer For Deaths Of Cats, Dogs

February 6, 2008 10:44 p.m. EST

Olathe, KS (AHN) - A federal grand jury in Kansas City has indicted the owners of a pet food importer and executives of two Chinese firms that sold pet food ingredients allegedly tainted with a poisonous chemical.

The indictments blame ChemNutra owners Stephen Miller and his wife Sally for the death of more than 4,000 cats and dogs. The pets were allegedly poisoned by wheat gluten that ChemNutra used to make pet foods because the protein-rich ingredient contained melamine, a poisonous chemical used to make plastics, cleaning products, countertops, glues, inks and fertilizers.

The Millers denied using melanine to enrich their pet food brands with protein. They also denied defrauding customers who bought their tainted pet food products.

According to the indictments, ChemNutra imported about 800 metric tons of the tainted wheat gluten from Xuzhou Anying Biologic Technology Development Co. and Suzhou Textiles, Silk, Light Industrial Products between November 2006 and February 2007.

Two executives from the Chinese exporters were charged with 13 felonies for exporting the tainted gluten to the U.S. The contaminated pet food were recalled by U.S. authorities.