Home / Crime and Justice / Oregon Man Wins $800K Over Bird Flu Contaminated Pet Food
Oregon Man Wins $800K Over Bird Flu Contaminated Pet Food
27 May
Summary
- A cat died from bird flu after eating contaminated raw chicken pet food.
- A jury awarded $800,000 to the cat's owner in a lawsuit against the food company.
- The company allegedly failed to disclose bird flu risks associated with its products.
An Oregon man received an $808,000 verdict from a jury following the death of his cat, Kira, due to bird flu. The cat died in early 2025 after consuming raw chicken pet food manufactured by Wild Coast Pet Foods. Hanson sued the company, alleging they marketed their products as safe while concealing the elevated risk of bird flu exposure from raw chicken.
The poultry used in the food reportedly originated from California and Washington, states with high documented bird flu outbreaks. Hanson's attorneys successfully argued that Wild Coast Pet Foods acted with "conscious indifference" to pet health. This included evidence of the company falsely assuring customers on social media about testing for the virus.
During the trial, evidence presented included a text message where the company's social media manager asked the founder to change a statement from "we will be testing" to "we are testing." The founder approved the change. Hanson's legal team contended that the company's testing methods fell short of industry standards.
The jury awarded $8,000 for veterinary expenses and $800,000 in punitive damages. The case underscores a significant outbreak of the H5N1 virus, which has affected numerous domestic cats across the U.S., often linked to raw poultry pet food. According to Oregon law, a portion of the punitive damages will go to a state crime victims' fund. Hanson stated his pursuit was for accountability, not financial gain.
