Dog owners blame fresh food brand for pets' deaths

LOS ANGELES - A local couple say their two dogs died after eating a popular brand of pet food. The company has denied the allegations, calling them misinformation, but the couple is now warning others on social media.

Dogs die after eating pet food

What we know:

Brittany Simon and Sharon Gilmore say their two dogs, Cleo and Bentley, were "perfectly healthy" just before their recent deaths. They claim that shortly after eating Freshpet dog food, the dogs became severely ill, and later died. 

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What we don't know:

The couple took both dogs to the vet. The cause of their illnesses remains unclear.

What they're saying:

"They were completely healthy," said Brittany Simon. "They were fine until they ate this food."

"I was under the impression that I was giving the dogs fresh, healthy food," said Sharon Gilmore.

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Simon said the grieving process has been "really hard and devastating, and we're still mourning the losses of them now."

Big picture view:

The pair said they researched online after Cleo and Bentley's deaths, and found other people who were making similar claims — that their dogs got sick and died after eating the same food.

Company responds

The other side:

FOX 11 reached out to Freshpet for comment. The company said it's aware of the claims being made online, but called them "misinformation."