Taste of the Wild Lawsuit: Grain-Free Dog Food, Heart Disease and a 2027 Trial
Dog owners claim that Schell & Kampeter, Inc., the Missouri company that does business as Diamond Pet Foods and makes Taste of the Wild, sold its grain-free dog food as healthy while it was associated with a heart disease called dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). As of September 27, 2026, there is no settlement and no claim form. A certified class of Missouri buyers is headed to a trial scheduled for January 8, 2027, and a newer California class action is fighting a motion to dismiss.
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Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated
What the Taste of the Wild Lawsuits Claim
The complaints allege, among other things, that:
- the FDA's June 2019 update named Taste of the Wild among the brands most often mentioned in DCM reports; the California complaint calls it "the third most commonly reported grain-free dog food." CNBC and CBS News reported the count at the time: 53 reports, behind Acana (67) and Zignature (64);
- the company has known about the risk "since at the latest July 12, 2018," the month the FDA announced its investigation, and concealed it from the public (Missouri second amended petition, filed July 26, 2024);
- from 2018 to 2022 the company "received at least 110 consumer reports of canine DCM and other cardiac related deaths" in dogs fed its grain-free foods (California complaint, filed April 29, 2026);
- nothing on the packaging or website warns buyers. According to the California complaint, a search of the Taste of the Wild website for "DCM," "dilated cardiomyopathy," "cardiac risk" or "heart damage" "locates nothing responsive."
Diamond denies the claims. In its February 2025 answer in the Missouri case, it states that the FDA "updated its position" and that its current position "is that there is no evidence of a causal association between grain-free diets and DCM." What the FDA itself wrote is explained in the FAQ below. All of these are allegations and defenses. No court has decided who is right.
Case Details
Harmon et al. v. Schell & Kampeter, Inc., Case No. 2016-CV17833, Circuit Court of Jackson County, Missouri, at Independence (Division 5), Judge James F. Kanatzar. Despite the "2016" in the number, the petition was filed on August 27, 2020. Class representatives: Mary Harmon and Connie Curts. Class counsel named in the notice: Shank & Heinemann, LLC and Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP. Official case website: missouridogfoodclassaction.com (the site lists the notice administrator at 1-866-502-7826).
Vilekar v. Schell & Kampeter, Inc., Case No. 4:26-cv-03723, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, Judge Rita F. Lin. Filed April 29, 2026 by Sayali Vilekar of Newark, California, represented by Girard Sharp LLP together with Schirger Feierabend LLC, Shank & Heinemann, LLC and Stueve Siegel Hanson LLP. Sources: court docket and complaint (PDF).
St. Germain et al. v. Schell & Kampeter, Inc., Case No. 7:26-cv-07556, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. Filed September 3, 2026 by Christa St. Germain and Denny Nikolopoulos. The docket lists a notice of voluntary dismissal on September 9, 2026.
Where the Cases Stand (September 27, 2026)
California: Diamond first moved to dismiss on June 29, 2026. The plaintiff filed an amended complaint on July 20, and Diamond moved to dismiss again on August 12. The initial case management conference took place on August 26, and the docket shows responses to a motion filed on August 26 and September 2. On September 1 the case was referred to private alternative dispute resolution (ADR). The docket shows stipulations filed between September 23 and 25; their content was not available to us. A docket entry of July 23, three days after the amended complaint, is titled "Order on Motion to Dismiss"; its text was not available to us. We found no ruling on the second motion, filed August 12.
New York: The case was filed on September 3, 2026. The docket lists a "Notice of Voluntary Dismissal" on September 9 and a signed version on September 11. The notice itself is not freely available, so we cannot say whether the claims could be filed again elsewhere. Some news reports published after September 11 still describe it as a new case.
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Who Is Covered
Missouri class (certified): You are a class member if you (1) were a citizen of Missouri on August 27, 2020, (2) bought Taste of the Wild grain-free dog food for personal, family or household purposes, (3) made the purchase in Missouri, and (4) bought it between August 27, 2015 and June 21, 2024. If that describes you and you did not send an exclusion request by August 31, 2024, you are in the class automatically. You do not need to register anywhere.
California (proposed only): The original complaint of April 29, 2026 proposes a class of "All persons who purchased Taste of the Wild grain-free dog food in the State of California from three years prior to the filing of the Complaint to the present." It lists 17 wet and dry grain-free recipes, including High Prairie, Pacific Stream, Sierra Mountain, Southwest Canyon, Wetlands, Pine Forest, Appalachian Valley Small Breed and three PREY limited-ingredient recipes. No class has been certified.
Everyone else: We found no other pending Taste of the Wild class action covering buyers outside Missouri and California. According to Top Class Actions, the New York case proposed a class of New York buyers, but its docket shows a voluntary dismissal. If you bought the food, keep receipts or online order histories, since the class claims are about purchases.
Is There Money in It?
The California complaint asks for compensatory, statutory and punitive damages, restitution and an injunction, "in amounts to be determined." The plaintiff there says she paid about $47 for the food every one and a half to two months from July 2022 to November 2024. That gives a sense of the purchase amounts at stake, not a payout estimate.
Both class cases are about the price of the food. If your dog was diagnosed with DCM, these cases do not decide your individual situation. Staying in the Missouri class means giving up the right to sue Diamond separately "about the same legal claims in this lawsuit." Whether that affects a claim you may have is a question for a lawyer.
Taste of the Wild Lawsuit Timeline
- 1
July 2018 – June 2019 — FDA investigation names Taste of the Wild
In July 2018 the FDA announced it was investigating DCM reports in dogs eating certain diets, many labeled grain-free. Its June 27, 2019 update named 16 brands. Taste of the Wild appeared in 53 reports.
- 2
August 27, 2020 — Missouri class action filed
Mary Harmon and Connie Curts sue under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act in the Circuit Court of Jackson County, Case No. 2016-CV17833.
- 3
September 22, 2022 — Missouri class certified
Judge James F. Kanatzar certifies a class of Missouri buyers. Diamond's motion to decertify the class is denied on December 18, 2023.
- 4
December 23, 2022 — FDA's last public update
The FDA says it does not intend to publish further updates until there is "meaningful new scientific information to share." It counts 1,382 dog DCM reports from 2014 to November 1, 2022.
- 5
August 31, 2024 — Opt-out deadline passes
Class notice by publication was approved on May 22, 2024. Missouri class members who did not ask to be excluded by August 31, 2024 remain in the class.
- 6
November 2025 — Two rulings for the Missouri plaintiffs
On November 13 the court lets the unjust enrichment claim proceed on a class basis. On November 21 it allows discovery of Diamond's assets for the punitive damages claim.
- 7
April – September 2026 — New suits in California and New York
Vilekar is filed in federal court in California on April 29 and faces a motion to dismiss. St. Germain is filed in New York on September 3; the docket shows a voluntary dismissal notice on September 9.
- 8
January 8, 2027 — Missouri trial date
The date the official case website lists for trial. A settlement before then, or another postponement, is possible.
Watch Out For
Pet owners who lost a dog are an easy target. Three things to watch for:
"Taste of the Wild settlement claim form" pages
There is no DCM settlement and no claim form. The official Missouri website offers only case documents and an exclusion form whose deadline passed in 2024. A page that asks for a fee, your bank login or your card number to "register" is not part of this case.
Old settlement pages that look current
A 2021 settlement over grain traces in foods labeled "grain free" (Shaw v. Schell & Kampeter, W.D. Wash.) still turns up in searches. It was approved on October 4, 2021, its claims period is long over, and it had nothing to do with heart disease.
"Join the lawsuit" forms
Many sign-up forms send your details to law firms for advertising. Missouri class members are already in the class, and in California nobody needs to sign up for a proposed class. Read who receives your data before you submit anything.
Taste of the Wild Lawsuit — FAQ
Is there a Taste of the Wild lawsuit settlement?
No. As of September 27, 2026, we found no settlement in any of the DCM cases. The Missouri notice states that Diamond "has not agreed to a settlement." If that changes, Missouri class members will be notified and told how to take part.
What is the Taste of the Wild lawsuit outcome so far?
There is no final outcome. The Missouri rulings we could find are procedural, and they went the plaintiffs' way: the class was certified (2022), decertification was denied (2023), and the unjust enrichment claim was allowed for the whole class (2025). Liability will be decided at a trial scheduled for January 8, 2027. The California case is still at the motion-to-dismiss stage, and the New York case shows a voluntary dismissal.
Taste of the Wild lawsuit 2025 update: what changed?
Diamond answered the second amended petition in February 2025. In November 2025 the court added the unjust enrichment claim to the class case and allowed discovery of Diamond's assets for punitive damages. The trial date listed in the 2024 notice, March 31, 2025, has since been replaced by January 8, 2027. In 2026 new cases followed in California (April) and New York (September).
How do I join the Taste of the Wild lawsuit?
If you fit the Missouri class definition, you are already in it and need to do nothing. In California the class is only proposed, and nothing needs to be signed. Outside those two states we found no pending case to join.
Can I still opt out of the Missouri class?
The deadline in the court-approved notice was August 31, 2024. It has passed. According to the notice, if a settlement is reached later, class members will be told how to participate "or how to ask to be excluded from any settlement." For questions about your own situation, the case website lists the notice administrator (1-866-502-7826), and the notice lists class counsel.
Did the FDA say Taste of the Wild causes heart disease?
No. The FDA named brands that appeared most often in DCM reports, but it has not established that grain-free food causes DCM. Its last update, from December 23, 2022, says adverse event numbers "by themselves, ... do not supply sufficient data to establish a causal relationship with reported product(s)." Its Q&A says the FDA "has no definitive information indicating that the diets are inherently unsafe and need to be removed from the market." It has not closed the question either: it says it continues to encourage research and will update the public if substantive new scientific information comes to light.
My dog was diagnosed with DCM after eating Taste of the Wild. What should I do?
Follow your veterinarian's advice. The FDA encourages veterinarians to report well-documented diet-related DCM cases through its Safety Reporting Portal, and pet owners can report a pet food complaint to the FDA. Keep the vet records, food bags or lot numbers, and receipts. The class cases are about the price of the food, so whether you have an individual claim is a question for a lawyer.
Didn't Taste of the Wild already settle a lawsuit?
Not over heart disease. In 2021 a federal court in Washington State approved a settlement over claims that Taste of the Wild and Kirkland Nature's Domain foods labeled "grain free" contained traces of grain (final approval October 4, 2021; claims are closed). A 2018 class action in California over heavy metals and other contaminants ended by stipulation in January 2022: the plaintiff's own claims were dismissed with prejudice and the class claims without prejudice. There was no class settlement.
Separate from this case: were you injured in the last 2 years?
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