TUKWILA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a complaint against a Washington pet food manufacturer, after pathogenic bacteria was allegedly found in its products.
The DOJ filed the civil complaint against Arrow Reliance Inc.–that does business as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products–and its owner, Gary Tashjian, on Friday, Aug. 7.
The complaint alleges that the defendants violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act by failing to follow preventive control requirements which led uncooked pet food to become adulterated.
It comes after the FDA allegedly discovered several pathogenic bacteria, including Salmonella and E. coli, in samples of Darwin’s products between 2017 and 2025. The complaint also claims that Darwin’s products have repeatedly infected consumers.
The DOJ is now seeking an injunction that would require the company to make sanitation improvements and comply with preventive control requirements before manufacturing any more pet food.
In response, Tashjian issued a statement saying, “We strongly disagree with the FDA’s recent claims and intend to vigorously defend our ability to continue making safe, high-quality raw pet food. We have always taken compliance with the FDA’s food safety requirements seriously and have rigorous manufacturing and sourcing standards in place to ensure the quality of our products. In the meantime, we remain squarely focused on our top priorities: supporting the health and wellbeing of the pets we serve.”
