Oh no!!!!!!!

[ALDOGMOM]

http://www.pginvestor.com/phoenix.zh...cle&ID=1422726

I can't even tell you how disappointed I am by this news..

[gotbigdogs]

ugh

[krb0471]

Hope they don't mess with something that is already good "to put their stamp on it'.

[bren]

Wow, that's awful.

[mezmerelda]

Yup, saw that on another board yesterday. I hope they don't muck things up.

[moondog]

Yuck!!! IMO Natura is one of the best food lines there is, hopefully they keep it that way!!

[Hounds_N_Leo]

well I guess I will be the outcast and see the good here. Maybe these "exclusive" brands will be sold in grocery stores now and made available to more people who buy dog foods there. You never know, maybe they will change their mind and pick up a bag once they see the difference on the label.

[Yeti_Girl]

good point gina. it could also bring the cost down.

i just hope they don't change anything. *crossing fingers*

[ALDOGMOM]

I don't think anything good will come from this...

[Yeti_Girl]

hm, maybe i'll go picket in person tomorrow during lunch. i think their office is about 4 miles from mine.

[howsefrau32]

I just went to pick up food for Greta and found this out. I'm so disgusted. And frustrated. After finally having a product I thought I could trust, and had such good results with, it's like a kick in the gut. I didn't read the article, but the clerk at the pet store said it was not supposed to change formulas for one year, but does anyone really trust that they will carry on exactly as they have been? I'm not sure I do. Don't know what we will look to now. I'm just really pissed right now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[howsefrau32]

hm, maybe i'll go picket in person tomorrow during lunch. i think their office is about 4 miles from mine.

I'm ready to fly to CA and picket with you!

[mezmerelda]

I received this today from Happy Dog Barkery (local store where I purchase our food). Their stance on the change...

Natura Pet Foods Purchased by Proctor & Gamble


We have been notified of the impending sale of family owned Natura Pet Foods to corporate giant Proctor & Gamble. Natura is responsible for the following food lines: California Natural, Evo, Healthwise, Karma and Innova. The sale is expected to be complete sometime in June 2010.

We are deeply saddened upon the news of the sale. Natura has been one of the companies on the forefront of good, solid nutrition with high quality, totally USA sourced ingredients. Their facilities and quality control were top notch and never did we at Happy Dog have any misgivings about the food.

We believe that when a corporate giant steps in, measures are taken to improve their bottom line and therefore quality will fail. This includes the not only the quality of the ingredients, but also the unanswered question of will the sources remain completely within the US and will the quality of raw ingredients falter? We feel both instances will prove to be true. There will also be increased pressures in the production lines so the food can be pushed into every Petco, Petsmart, Walmart and even your local grocery stores within the next year or two. With increased pressure, there can be cracks throughout the entire system.

P&G states that they won’t change formulas yet, but according to AAFCO standards, anytime a formula is changed, the manufacturer has six months in which to revise the label on the bag. What this means is that the contents of the food may have changed but those changes will not be reflected on the packaging. We prefer to be proactive to prevent any possible ill effects to any companion animal.

Once the sale is complete, Happy Dog will no longer be carrying the Natura line. We value your business and hope you will accept our concerns about what may happen to the food and the overall health of your dog or cat. We are actively working on a food substitute list for each line. Be assured there will be a comparable food for your dog. We also see it as a great opportunity for you to start rotating your dog food on a regular basis, which we would be happy to discuss with you. We will publish the substitute list soon.

[borzoimom]

This was another reason I started taking a course and at the completion of the series, have a "certificate in canine nutrition."
When I started raw all those years ago- the ones that did it, we were helping to follow each other by experience. Why we did it was because of chemicals in the foods back 26 plus years ago. Done off the basics of ratios etc.
While I endorse raw, the last straw prior to starting raw, was losing a dog to bloat on a good kibble out of no where.. I am not saying the kibble caused it, but I will never have my answer all those years ago, and her pain was horrid. ( she didn't make it...).
"Good dog foods" one week, fall by the wayside the following week..
For what its worth- feeding a kibble is not worth the worries..

However- not everyone can do raw- either time schedules, or even storage ( freezers etc).

[ALDOGMOM]

I got to read the letter Natura sent out....Some bullshit about the owners wanting to retire...I'm pretty sure P&G waiving a bunch of $$ in their face made retirement seem much more palatable..

The letter did make a point of saying the sale had not yet been completed...
My husband buys and sells companies for a living and I do know that with manufacturing it takes a while to switch things around...

Our guy is also looking for another line to replace Natura...He showed me a couple of things he was looking at but just looking at the labels they aren't comparable..

I'll keep searching for a suitable replacement...I'm not going the raw route...Primarily because my dogs would starve...LOL..

[mezmerelda]

Here's what someone from the Swissy forum got back from Natura.

June 2, 2010

Thank you for contacting Natura Pet Products. Natura’s dedication to quality and nutritional philosophy has not changed. Natura’s Founders; John & Ann Rademakers and Peter Atkins, started Natura’s business with the purpose to provide the healthiest pet foods in the world. In building Natura’s business they have maintained animal health and wellness as a priority. They have strongly supported their independent retail partners.

P&G is committed to growing the Natura brands. They recognize the critical nature of growing the entire portfolio through the independent pet specialty stores. The quality of our products will continue to be world class. Natura’s nutritional philosophy will not change. The foundation of our success is rooted in our products and their performance. We will not compromise our standards.

P&G will be acquiring our manufacturing facilities in Fremont, NE and San Leandro, CA along with the full complement of Natura employees. P&G intends to operate Natura Pet Products as an independent entity. Our approach to formulation and product design will remain the same, and we will continue to position our formulas on the cutting edge. We will continue to evolve and improve our market leading products. Our ingredient selection philosophy will remain unchanged.

Natura’s current operating management team will remain in their respective positions and Natura’s business relationships will remain unchanged.

P&G has sought us out to advance and improve their natural and holistic product line and are interested in our products because they believe that we are the best at what we do… providing “The Healthiest Pet Food in the World.”

We sincerely appreciate your loyalty and support over the years and look forward to continued success in growing the Natura business with P&G.

[moondog]

bleck!! I hope so but Im not very hopeful. my kitty eats innova and it is the only dry kibble i can get him to eat...

[howsefrau32]

Here's what someone from the Swissy forum got back from Natura.

June 2, 2010

Thank you for contacting Natura Pet Products. Natura’s dedication to quality and nutritional philosophy has not changed. Natura’s Founders; John & Ann Rademakers and Peter Atkins, started Natura’s business with the purpose to provide the healthiest pet foods in the world. In building Natura’s business they have maintained animal health and wellness as a priority. They have strongly supported their independent retail partners.

P&G is committed to growing the Natura brands. They recognize the critical nature of growing the entire portfolio through the independent pet specialty stores. The quality of our products will continue to be world class. Natura’s nutritional philosophy will not change. The foundation of our success is rooted in our products and their performance. We will not compromise our standards.

P&G will be acquiring our manufacturing facilities in Fremont, NE and San Leandro, CA along with the full complement of Natura employees. P&G intends to operate Natura Pet Products as an independent entity. Our approach to formulation and product design will remain the same, and we will continue to position our formulas on the cutting edge. We will continue to evolve and improve our market leading products. Our ingredient selection philosophy will remain unchanged.

Natura’s current operating management team will remain in their respective positions and Natura’s business relationships will remain unchanged.

P&G has sought us out to advance and improve their natural and holistic product line and are interested in our products because they believe that we are the best at what we do… providing “The Healthiest Pet Food in the World.”

We sincerely appreciate your loyalty and support over the years and look forward to continued success in growing the Natura business with P&G.

I just don't know if I believe them or can trust that they will keep things the same. For now we are still on it, but I don't know for how long.

[mezmerelda]

If we were feeding one of their products, I think I'd hold back on judgment for a bit. You never know...

[BigRox]

Well this is just great~!!! Roxy is doing really well on EVO.

My problem with this is that IAMs is involved... I don't buy anything owned, made or supported by Iams, Pukeanuba or the like.

Does everyone remember this? not that you could forget... awful awful stuff.
http://www.iamscruelty.com/

I don't even shop at petco or petsmart. I do however have great local pet stores.

So yeah... i'll need to switch. I am not going to contribute or fund IAMS by buying there food. I guess I'll go buy a few more bags today and start looking for a change. And you know what? I may just go raw this time. I'll need to figure it out and it will be a lot of work for me, but at least I can rest easy and stop worrying about this shit all the time. Bad food, changes in sources, cutting out the bar codes and checking batches..... jeez.