What if the pet food labels you rely on to keep your furry family members safe suddenly became meaningless? What if brands could swap ingredients without telling you, slap trendy buzzwords on packaging without proof, and sidestep the very regulations designed to protect your pets? That’s exactly what’s at stake with the PURR Act—a piece of proposed legislation that promises to “unify” pet food regulations, but could actually strip away transparency, eliminate state oversight, and allow for deceptive marketing claims. Join us as we expose the hidden dangers of the PURR Act with Austin Therrell and Dr. Charles Starkey, breaking down exactly how this bill could make it easier for big pet food companies to cut corners while leaving pet parents and smaller brands in the dark.

Helpful Links

Find the full text of the Pet Food Uniform Regulatory Reform (PURR) Act of 2025 here: https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/597/text

Tune in to this previous episode to get the scoop about the expired FDA-AAFCO MOU and why it throws a wrench in new pet food ingredient approvals: https://bsmpartners.net/barking-mad-podcast/are-aafco-and-fda-ever-getting-back-together-how-their-split-will-reshape-pet-nutrition

Find your State Representative! https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative

Download this form letter, add your information, and send to your elected official: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Ex9NKTUnP8x0JoP4_llvi0BsaVE7zyzV/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=111590653972486788037&rtpof=true&sd=true

News articles:

• “As government reform efforts converge, significant FDA staff cuts are likely:” https://www.agencyiq.com/blog/as-government-reform-efforts-converge-significant-fda-staff-cuts-are-likely/
• “FDA staff handling drug safety for pets and livestock lost jobs in Trump firings:” https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/02/19/nx-s1-5301216/federal-layoffs-fda-drug-safety-animals

Show Notes

00:00 – Welcome Back!

02:32 – Introducing Austin Therrell and Dr. Charles Starkey

05:03 – Understanding the Current Pet Food Regulatory Landscape

06:17 – Breaking Down the PURR Act

10:02 – Taking Power Away from State Regulators

13:41 – Streamlining or Undermining?

15:11 – Potential Winners and Losers Under the PURR Act

17:27 – Key Concerns About the PURR Act

23:42 – Red Flags for Pet Parents

28:06 – The Real Risk of Undeclared Ingredient Substitutions

30:09 – More Work for an Already Understaffed & Underfunded FDA

34:00 – Final Thoughts from Austin and Dr. Starkey

37:59 – Call to Action and Farewell