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Salmonella Scare Forces Diamond Pet Foods Recall

NEW YORK (CBS 2) -- A Diamond Pet Foods salmonella scare has led to an important recall.

Fourteen people have gotten sick after coming in contact with dogs that ate the food. The company is now recalling several varieties of dry dog food that may be contaminated with salmonella.

Several batches made between December and April in South Carolina are in question.

"Rex" is a 10-year-old Labrador retriever on medication for serious digestive problems. His owner, Betty Nicholson of Baldwin is convinced he got sick after eating dog food produced by Diamond Pet Foods.

"My gut is telling me that the food was tainted," Nicholson told CBS 2's Hazel Sanchez on Monday night.

Nicholson has three big reasons why she's blaming the food. She said that since February all three of her Labs have gotten sick since after eating "Kirkland Signature" brand chicken and rice formula manufactured by Diamond Pet Foods.

"Vomiting, diarrhea, bloody show, lethargic," she said.

Now the same food, along with a long list of other dog food manufactured at Diamond's South Carolina plant, is being recalled after more than a dozen people got infected with salmonella by handling the tainted food.

The company claims no pets got sick, but Nicholson said her dogs are proof that's not true.

"If they said no dogs were sick with salmonella I wouldn't have gotten so enraged. Don't tell me no dogs have reported getting sick. I've been reporting it for over a month," Nicholson said.

Diamond could not be reached for further comment Monday. Nicholson said she called and emailed the company numerous times after her veterinarian became convinced the food was making her dogs sick.

But she said the company did nothing.

"What do you want, a carcass, so that you can do an autopsy to prove what it was? I'm not waiting for my dogs to get sicker," she said.

Costco pulled Diamond's Kirkland brand dog food off the shelves and are urging consumers to get rid of any of the affected dog food they may still have.

The Nicholsons said they're still searching for a new dog food they can trust.

To see the list of recalled brands please click on the following link: Diamond Pet Foods recall

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