A spokesperson for PetSmart said Friday that the company is concerned for consumers over the ongoing pet food recall.
"It's unfortunate that the recall continues," said Jennifer Ericsson in a telephone interview regarding the sensitive topic.
Ericsson also said that agencies such as the Food and Drug Administration are involved in trying to resolve the problem.
"We're really looking to the industry experts," Ericsson said.
The recall initially affected brands manufactured by Menu Foods. Companies such as Nestle Purina and Sunshine Mills were later added.
The PetSmart at 3865 E. Thomas Rd. in Phoenix had some unaffected products from those companies, such as Menu Foods' Eukanuba and Purina's Alpo, on its shelves Friday.
David Koster, a grocery manager at Fry's Food & Drug at 3255 S. Rural Rd. in Tempe, said that before the recall, customers were not very picky about pet food.
"People tend to buy what you have on the shelf," Koster said. "But when it comes to pets' health, people will switch brands in a heartbeat."
Koster, who owns nearly 30 pets including five newborn kittens, said he switched brands right after the recall even though his chosen brands were not on the recall list.
"You never know," he said.
For some pet owners, the recall list came too late.
"My aunt in Pennsylvania lost a cat," said Mike Barnes, an employee at Pets Inc. at 3201 S. Mill Ave. in Tempe.
Barnes said that when the recall was enacted, he immediately began buying Pinnacle, a holistic brand of dog food, for his Italian Greyhound.
"It definitely got me worried," said Barnes, explaining that Italian Greyhounds have very fragile stomachs.
Ericsson said that PetSmart keeps an updated list of recalled products on their Web site, www.petsmart.com.
The Web site also provides contact information for affected companies and answers to frequently asked questions, both accessible from the main page.
Koster said that since the recall, Fry's has invested more in the brands that are not affected.
"We have a greater variety," he said.
Still, Koster said, the recall is difficult for his store.
"It's a pain," he said. "We don't even know when we're going to get a product back that's safe for our customers.
"They're constantly asking about that."
Reach the reporter at: justin.s.adams@asu.edu.
