cross post- NATURA Company Lawsuit?????

[_Chrissy_]

Got this in an email today. Anyone know what happened???


If you purchased Innova, EVO, California Natural, HealthWise, Mother Nature, or
Karma dog or cat food you could get a payment from a class action settlement.

A $2,150,000 settlement has been reached with Natura Pet Products, Inc., Natura Pet Food, Inc., Natura Manufacturing and Peter Atkins ("Defendants" or "Natura") in a class action lawsuit about the advertising of Natura brand dog and cat food. Natura denies all of the claims in the lawsuit, but has agreed to the settlement to avoid the cost and burden of a trial.

WHO IS INCLUDED? If you received this by email or mail, you are probably included. Generally, the settlement includes anyone in the U.S. who purchased Natura brand dog or cat food products anytime between March 20, 2005 and July 8, 2011. Together these people are called a "Class" or "Class Members."

WHAT DOES THE SETTLEMENT PROVIDE? The maximum payment you can get is $200. A $2,150,000 settlement fund will be created by Natura. After paying attorneys fees of up to 35% of the fund and costs and expenses of up to $60,000 to the lawyers representing the Class; the costs associated with administering the settlement of up to $400,000; and up to $20,000 to the Class Representative (Judy Ko), payments will be made to Class Members who submit valid claim forms.

HOW DO YOU ASK FOR A PAYMENT? Submit a claim online, at Natura Pet Food - index, using the claim number and password information above or by mail by calling 1-888-768-2047. The deadline to submit or mail your proof of claim form is January 8, 2012.

WHAT ARE YOUR OPTIONS? You have a choice about whether to stay in the Class or not. If you submit a claim form or do nothing, you are choosing to stay in the Class. This means you will be legally bound by all orders and judgments of the Court, and you will not be able to sue or continue to sue Natura about the legal claims resolved by this settlement. If you stay in the Class you may object to the settlement. You or your own lawyer may also ask to appear and speak at the hearing, at your own cost, but you don't have to. The deadline to submit objections and requests to appear is December 28, 2011. If you do not want to stay in the Class, you must submit a request for exclusion by December 28, 2011. If you exclude yourself, you cannot get a payment from this settlement, but you will keep any rights to sue Natura for the same claims in a different lawsuit. The detailed notice explains how to exclude yourself, object and request to appear.

THE COURT'S FAIRNESS HEARING. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California will hold a hearing in this case (Ko v. Natura Pet Products, Inc., No. 5:09cv2619), on February 17, 2012, at 9:00 a.m. to consider whether to approve: the settlement; attorneys' fees, costs, and expenses; and the payment to the Class Representative. If the settlement is approved, it will release the Defendants from all claims in the Settlement Agreement.

HOW DO YOU GET MORE INFORMATION? To get a copy of the detailed notice or settlement agreement or to learn more, visit Natura Pet Food - index or call 1-888-768-2047.

The United States District Court for the Northern District of California has ordered that this email notice be sent. If you wish to UNSUBSCRIBE from future email messages from the Claims Administrator with regard to this settlement, please click here.

[addevo]

I got the same email, and have the same question. What was the lawsuit about?

[Maximo]

My first impression, sounds like a scam of some kind. I would not enter any info at that website without investigating further.


Under the FAQs, it says "potential" settlement.

[_Chrissy_]

Looks like they were a part of the big lawsuit about saying "fit for human consumption".
Maybe this is from that?

Class action law suit against Innova???

[Maximo]

Originally Posted by _Chrissy_

Looks like they were a part of the big lawsuit about saying "fit for human consumption".
Maybe this is from that?

Class action law suit against Innova???

If false claims are the basis for the lawsuit then every single pet food manufacturer is a potential target.

Class action lawsuits tell me more about lawyers and juries (wanting to stick it to a corporation) than they do the product under scrutiny.

[_Chrissy_]

Here it is...

Natura Pet Products Class Action Settlement Of Innova, EVO, California Natural, HealthWise, Mother Nature & Karma Dog or Cat Food Product Class Action Lawsuit

July 15, 2011

If you purchased Innova, EVO, California Natural, HealthWise, Mother Nature, or Karma dog or cat food products, you could get a payment from a class action settlement.

A federal judge has entered an order for preliminary approval of a class action settlement of a class action lawsuit against Natura Pet Products, Inc. (“Natura Pet Products” or “Natura” or “Defendant”) in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California (captioned Judy Ko v. Natura Pet Prodcuts, Inc., Civil Action Case No. C 09-02619 JF), alleging, among other things, that Natura violated California’s Business and Professions Code when advertising their dog and cat food products and allegedly made false and misleading statements about the human grade quality of its food in its advertisements, promotional materials and labeling.

For purposes of the Natura Pet Products settlement, Judge Fogel certified a class of persons defined as follows:

All persons residing in the United States who purchased any Natura Product for personal, family, or household purposes (the “Class”) during the time period from March 20, 2005 to July 8, 2011 (the “Class Period”).

All Innova, EVO, California Natural, HealthWise, Mother Nature, and Karma dog and cat food products are reportedly included in the Natura Pet Products settlement.

A $2,150,000 settlement fund will be reportedly created by Natura under the class action settlement. The settlement fund will be used to make payments to settlement Class Members, as well as cover attorneys’ fees, costs and expenses, a payment to the Class Representative and the costs associated with administering the settlement. Natura will also reportedly stop promoting its pet food products as human grade, human quality, or as something that you would eat yourself. To get a payment (of up to $200), settlement class members must submit a claim form by January 8, 2012.

The Court will hold a Fairness Hearing at 9:00 a.m. on Friday, February 17, 2012, at the United States District Court for the Northern District of California, 280 S. 1st Street, San Jose, California 95113 to consider whether the Natura Pet Products settlement is fair, reasonable, and adequate.

For more information on the Natura Pet Products Innova, EVO, California Natural, HealthWise, Mother Nature & Karma Dog or Cat Food Product class action settlement, visit the Ko v. Natura Pet Products, Inc. class action settlement website:

Natura Pet Food - index

[Nancy1999]

This is legitimate and it's about:

Ko v. Natura Pet Products, Inc., Case No. 5:09-cv-02619 is a class action lawsuit in which Plaintiffs claim Natura violated California’s Business and Professions Code when advertising their dog and cat food products. It also claims that Natura made false and misleading statements about the human grade quality of its food in its advertisements, promotional materials and labeling. The Defendants deny that they did anything wrong. http://www.petproductssettlement.com...f-501a1c162628

I hope they go after more companies that do this, there is no such thing as human grade quality when making kibble, it's very misleading, and it makes consumers believe they are getting a higher quality food when they are not. Many companies do this, and I can't wait till they get them all.


If you have purchased this product sign up for it lawsuit, you usually need receipts if you've purchased a lot of it, but if you got the email, they may already know that you purchased some of it. The only reason you wouldn't want to go along with this class settlement lawsuit, is if you purchased it and your dog got sick or had some problem with the food, then you might want to get your own attorney, but this lawsuit just speaks to false advertising.

[_Chrissy_]

Natura Pet Products Class Action Settlement Of Innova, EVO, California Natural, HealthWise, Mother Nature & Karma Dog or Cat Food Product Class Action Lawsuit | Class Action Lawsuits In The News

This explains it... it was for the fit for human consumption type claims

[Roxiesmama]

Chrissy, your little pup is just precious in that picture!!

[Patti]

I got it too and had been feeding mine California Natural for 5 years.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Patti

I got it too and had been feeding mine California Natural for 5 years.

You might be able to get the full amount of $200.

[Maximo]

I see now that it is a legitimate story:
Federal Court Grants Preliminary Approval of Natura Class Action Settlement

I fully support holding manufacturers accountable for their claims on their packaging and in all of their product promotions. However, class action lawsuits usually serve primarily the purpose of putting a lot of $$$ into the pockets of lawyers while driving up the cost of products for consumers.

A consumer may get $200 out of this, but we will all end up paying more for our pet foods.

[_Chrissy_]

Originally Posted by Roxiesmama

Chrissy, your little pup is just precious in that picture!!

Thanks

[_Chrissy_]

I wonder if it is P&G that is "paying" or the original owners of Natura.

Seems silly that someone would believe it is fit for a human to eat.

[Nancy1999]

Originally Posted by Maximo

I see now that it is a legitimate story:
Federal Court Grants Preliminary Approval of Natura Class Action Settlement

I fully support holding manufacturers accountable for their claims on their packaging and in all of their product promotions. However, class action lawsuits usually serve primarily the purpose of putting a lot of $$$ into the pockets of lawyers while driving up the cost of products for consumers.

A consumer may get $200 out of this, but we will all end up paying more for our pet foods.

Yeah, you're right, but the consumer should be able to believe the advertising claims of a company. Small companies are always making outrageous advertising claims, (lose 20 pounds overnight) and by the time the courts catch up to them, they are out of business and running under a new name. However, large companies should learn by this type of lawsuit, it's not worth it to mislead consumers. You have a good product (hopefully) tell the truth about it.