Could Frequent Buyer Cards Become a Pet Food First Alert Recall Program?

Every major pet store has them, Frequent Buyer Cards. Pet owning subscribers to these programs receive discounts in exchange for a few bits of personal information. Could these Frequent Buyer Programs become an early alert program in the event of another pet food/pet treat recall?

Most pet owners subscribe to frequent buyer programs offered at their pet store. Petsmart´s program is dubbed Pet Perks, Petco´s is called Petco Pals. Joining these programs provides the subscriber with discounts on most purchases in exchange for some basic information often including an email address. Imagine the email database of Petsmart and Petco alone; now imagine the power this database would have reaching customers when the next pet food/pet treat recall occurs.

In 2007 the U.S. suffered the deadliest of all pet food recalls. Over the course of this pet food recall, hundreds of dog foods and cat foods were added to the list over several months time. The national media was quick to publicize the recall initially, however as more products were added to the recall list, most national media newsgroups tired of the story. Most pet food retailers were prompt at removing newly recalled foods from store shelves, however countless pet owners with recalled foods at home continued to unknowingly feed the tainted foods to their dog and/or cat. Many of these unknowing pet owners were members of their pet store´s frequent buyer program; they could have been notified via email or even phone if the retailer had developed a first alert pet food recall system.

It could be done, quickly and without a great deal of effort. The few pet food lines that sell direct to customers online and smaller home delivery or online retailers have already established such a program for their own product lines. Large pet food retailers, utilizing their established frequent buyer program, could easily do the same. Not only would such a Pet Food/Pet Treat Recall First Alert program be a tremendous service to their customers, it would more than likely encourage more subscribers.

To the Big Dogs and Fat Cats in command at these major pet food retail

chains, please, work with the FDA and develop a First Alert Pet Food/Pet Treat Recall program. It´s the right thing to do.

Wishing you and your pet(s) the best,

Susan Thixton

Truth about Pet Food