Canadian Class Action Commenced By Pet Owners Against Royal Canin

    TORONTO, March 20 /CNW/ - A national class action has been commenced on
behalf of pet owners who have purchased certain types of dog and cat food
manufactured by Royal Canin Canada Company.
    The claim seeks compensation for all those who have purchased Royal Canin
dog or cat food since August 1, 2004.
    The claim, issued today in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, alleges
that certain types of Royal Canin cat and dog food contain excessive amounts
of Vitamin D, which cause severe illness or death in pets. The claim further
alleges that Royal Canin was negligent in manufacturing and distributing the
pet food, and that it knew or ought to have known that excessive amounts of
Vitamin D are unsafe and leave dogs and cats vulnerable to developing
conditions such as hypercalcaemia and renal failure.
    "Pets are like family members, death or chronic illness can have a
devastating impact," said Joel P. Rochon, co-lead counsel. "It would appear
that some sectors of the pet food industry in Canada operate without any
meaningful quality assurance and that the industry is largely
self-regulating," added David Himelfarb, co-lead counsel.
    The proposed representative plaintiff, Janet Grixti of Whitby, Ontario,
stated: "If Royal Canin properly tested its products and recalled the dog food
in a timely manner, my dog would not have developed chronic renal failure. He
is a very young dog, and now he will have this costly condition for the rest
of his life."
    The allegations raised in the claim have not yet been proven in court.
The plaintiff and the prospective class members are represented by the law
firms of Rochon Genova LLP and Himelfarb Proszanski LLP.




For further information: Rochon Genova LLP, 121 Richmond St. W, Suite
900, Toronto, Ontario, M5H 2K1, Telephone: (416) 363-1867, or toll-free:
1-866-881-2292, Website address: www.rochongenova.com; Himelfarb Proszanski
LLP, 250 Dundas St. W., Suite 401, Toronto, Ontario, M5T 2Z5, Telephone: (416)
599-8080, Website address: www.himprolaw.com