# Natura class action settlement



## Unosmom (May 3, 2009)

has anyone else gotten this email?

*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.*


up to $200.. plus(or should I say minus) 35% lawyer fees? I feel rich already.


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## maggie's mom (Jul 2, 2009)

I got this email a few minutes ago but haven't had a chance to really look at the settlement agreement yet.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

I haven't gotten that email and I do a lot of survey's for them so I know they have my email. I'll let you know if I get one.


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## chowder (Sep 7, 2008)

I just got my email with the claim number. Guess it is legitimate from what I've checked out.


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## PUNKem733 (Jun 12, 2009)

I've also received this email. So for years, before the P&G buyout, they were a lying, POS organization. I'm glad this has happened. I'm going to all raw.


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## SerenityFL (Sep 28, 2010)

In another forum that I visit, an individual stated that she had joined the class action lawsuit years ago after one of her cats died and 2 others became ill after eating the contaminated food. She got checks just today totaling $804.12, her "share" of the settlement. 

Is there another lawsuit or is Natura the one?

Regardless, she lost her cat because of this and states rightly so that she would rather have her cat but at least SOMETHING was done although it did not cover the cost of about $2500, (price of the food and subsequent vet bills after they ate the food), that she was also out.

So I guess the company considers the life of a companion cat to be about $800. Nice to know.


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## Porphyria (Jul 13, 2011)

As far as I know this particular class action is regarding deceptive advertising. Basically, they claimed their foods were "human grade" or "fit for human consumption," even though they are not. A quick google search did come up with some results regarding class action lawsuits against pet food manufacturers in 2008, perhaps that is what the person on the other forum was referring to, SerenityFL? I'm not sure if Natura was involved in that or not, or what the specific circumstances of that class action were.


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## wags (Jan 31, 2009)

Yes, I got this email. I kept it but I didn't do anything with it.


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## FL Cracker (May 4, 2011)

Did You Purchase a Natura Pet Food


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## RCTRIPLEFRESH5 (Feb 11, 2010)

Unosmom said:


> has anyone else gotten this email?
> 
> *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.
> ...


i got it even though the only evo i have gotten was the free 5 pounders


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## 1605 (May 27, 2009)

Although I read through the information provided by the link in the OP's post, I didn't research this issue further. However, I would like to bring to everyone's attention that:

1) The "notice" is published by a company that specializes in pet lawsuits against food manufacturers. It is NOT a legal entity like a court or judge. So the "notice" that "you may be entitled to part of this settlement" may well be nothing more than a ploy to get your email address or other personal information.

2) Anyone can sue anyone else in this country. Lawyers like the firm from whom the email originated make their living by filing law suits and getting settlements, not from winning a case by proving its merit. Filing a lawsuit against someone or some company does not actually mean the Defendant actually did something wrong. It just means that the Plaintiff hired a lawyer to sue them and rather than pay huge amounts of $$$ to defend themselves from a baseless suit which they will probably win in the end is just too damned expensive. So they opt for the least painful route, which is to pay off the Plaintiff.

3) The amount of money of the settlement is paltry as far as class action suits against big companies go. The lawyers will probably get ~35% right off the top as their contingency fee. Then there are the "legal costs" of doing all the paperwork, filing the suit, "discussions with the Defendant", and whatever other "costs" have allegedly been incurred. So by the time it's all said & done, the people who were actually the Plaintiffs in this whole mess will get some miniscule amount for filing the ridiculous lawsuit in the first place.

People in this country refuse to take responsibility for their own actions. There is a HUGE legal industry out there that encourages this attitude that it's ALWAYS SOMEONE ELSE'S FAULT if something bad happens to you. So why shouldn't you sue? The lawyer works on a contingency basis, so there are no consequences to YOU if the case doesn't actually go to court. But what about the people on the other end? 

Take away contingency fees in this country & frivilous lawsuits will drop dramatically. A lawyer can always elect to either not charge a potential client or charge them a minimal fee if the suit actually has merit and the client doesn't have any money. People will still be able to sue, but there will be far less allure to the whole process if it means you'll actually have to PAY to initiate a law suit.

JMHO,


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## kevin bradley (Aug 9, 2009)

the only people who make money off this crap are the lawyers.

Does it help deter unethical behavior by companies?... I don't know. Maybe.


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## baggie (Jun 2, 2010)

Submariner gets it.


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