Date of Recall:

March 23, 2007 - completed at retail level
           
Products Recalled:
Pig ear dog treats

Product Information:

• Miscellaneous lots of bulk pig ear dog treats sold by catalogs and Internet under the “Petrapport” brand:

• 25-count packages of “Berkley & Jensen” Full-Cut Pig Ears dog treats

These products do not have lot numbers, but the labels have the expiration advisories “BEST IF USED BY…”  This recall includes all 25-count packages of this product with the following expiration information:

• BEST IF USED BY 2009 (without referencing a specific month)
• BEST IF USED BY SEPTEMBER 2009
• BEST IF USED BY OCTOBER 2009
• BEST IF USED BY NOVEMBER 2009
• BEST IF USED BY DECEMBER 2009

Customers who have purchased any of the above-identified pig ear dog treats should discontinue use of the products immediately.

Recalling Firm:
Petrapport, Inc.
North Bergen, New Jersey

Product Manufacturer:
Petrapport, Inc.
North Bergen, New Jersey

Customer Questions and Concerns:
Customers with questions or concerns should contact:
Luciana DeLeon, (800) 447-3872 extension 110.

Customer Returns:
Customers may return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund.  Dealers should return unsold inventory and products returned by customers to their distributor.

Problem/Reason for Recall:

Laboratory testing has confirmed that samples of the “Berkley & Jensen” Full-Cut Pig Ears dog treats with no lot number and only the expiration advisory "BEST IF USED BY 2009" (without referencing a specific month) were contaminated with Salmonella. Additional testing of other pig ear dog treats from shipments during the time period In question has not revealed any additional evidence of Salmonella contamination, but Petrapport nonetheless is voluntarily recalling them out of an abundance of caution due to concern that the pig ears imported during this period may not have been effectively irradiated for Salmonella before shipment from its manufacturing facility in Chile. The products in question were offered for sale to consumers during the period August 2006 through December 2006.
Salmonella can potentially be transferred to people handling these dog treats, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the product or any surfaces exposed to these products. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis and arthritis. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.
Dogs that become ill from Salmonella generally will have a fever and diarrhea that may contain blood or mucus. Affected animals may seem more tired that usual, and may have vomiting. Some dogs do not have diarrhea, but will have decreased appetite, fever and excess salivation. If your dog has consumed the recalled product and is exhibiting these signs, please contact your veterinarian.
While there have been no confirmed illnesses to date, consumers should immediately stop feeding these treats to their dogs. These products have been removed from the sales floors and the sales inventories of all retailers and/or catalog companies.

Amount recalled:

unknown

Distribution:

Bulk pig ear dog treats were available through the catalogs or Internet sites of the following:

• Doctors Foster and Smith - www.drsfostersmith.com
• J-B Wholesale Pet Supplies, Inc. - www.jbpet.com

The “Berkley & Jensen” Full-Cut Pig Ears dog treats were sold by BJ’s Wholesale Club stores in the following states: CT, DE, FL, GA, MA, ME, MD, NH, NJ, NY, NC, OH, PA, RI, SC, and VA.

Press Release: Yes