Taste of the Wild Grain-Free Dog Food Heart Disease Lawsuit, Were You Affected? St. Germain, et al. v. Schell & Kampeter, Inc., No. 7:26-cv-07556

Schell & Kampeter, Inc., maker of Taste of the Wild, faces a new class action over grain-free dog food and heart disease: St. Germain, et al. v. Schell & Kampeter, Inc., No. 7:26-cv-07556, filed in the Southern District of New York. If your dog developed heart trouble after years on the grain-free recipes, you’re not imagining a pattern — two New York pet owners say their dogs were harmed, one fatally at age 5.

Taste of the Wild Heart Disease Lawsuit — Key Facts

Field	Detail
Lawsuit Filed	September 4, 2026
Defendant	Schell & Kampeter, Inc. (d/b/a Diamond Pet Foods), maker of Taste of the Wild
Alleged Harm	Grain-free dog food linked to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a fatal heart disease in dogs
Law Alleged	UNVERIFIED — specific statutes cited in the complaint are not confirmed from a publicly accessible primary source at time of writing
Who Is Affected	Two named New York plaintiffs; full proposed class definition is UNVERIFIED — the complaint sits behind Law360’s paywall and was not otherwise publicly accessible at time of writing
Court & Case Number	U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 7:26-cv-07556
Current Stage	Complaint filed; no motions or rulings reported as of this writing
Lead Plaintiff Deadline	N/A — this is a consumer class action, not a securities case
Settlement Status	No settlement. Active litigation only
Last Updated	September 15, 2026

Who Is Schell & Kampeter and Why Are They Being Sued for Heart Disease in Dogs?

Schell & Kampeter, Inc. is the Missouri company behind Diamond Pet Foods, and it makes Taste of the Wild — a grain-free line marketed as matching a dog’s “ancestral diet.” That marketing put the company right in the middle of a scientific concern regulators have tracked since 2018: a possible link between grain-free recipes and canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Taste of the Wild has repeatedly shown up among the most-cited brands in federal DCM case data, and the new lawsuit argues the company kept selling the food without warning owners. That’s not a footnote. That’s the whole case.

What Did Schell & Kampeter Do to Taste of the Wild Owners?

The lawsuit claims Schell & Kampeter marketed Taste of the Wild’s grain-free formulas as healthy and natural while allegedly staying quiet about a known risk. DCM is a disease where the heart muscle weakens and stretches out, and it can kill a dog that looked completely fine months earlier.

This isn’t a brand-new theory. The FDA has investigated a possible connection between grain-free pet food and DCM since 2018. By its 2019 update, the agency had already named Taste of the Wild among the most frequently cited brands in DCM case reports, and it acknowledged the illnesses “can be severe, even fatal.” The plaintiffs in St. Germain say their own dogs developed serious heart problems after eating the grain-free recipes over an extended period — with one dog dying at age 5.

Grain-free formulas from other companies are facing similar scrutiny right now. Petco WholeHearted Class Action, Did Your Dog Eat Grain-Free Food Linked to Heart Disease? covers a separate case built on the same medical theory. This is turning into a pattern across the industry, not a one-brand problem.

Are You Part of the Taste of the Wild Heart Disease Lawsuit?

Here’s exactly how to know if the Taste of the Wild lawsuit includes you.

You may have a connection to this case if:

• You purchased Taste of the Wild grain-free dog food and fed it to your dog over an extended period
• Your dog was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) or another heart condition after eating the grain-free recipes
• Your vet’s records connect your dog’s heart diagnosis to a grain-free diet
• Your dog’s heart problems developed or worsened without another clear medical explanation

You likely fall outside this case if:

• Your dog only ate Taste of the Wild’s grain-inclusive (non-grain-free) formulas
• You have no veterinary documentation linking a heart diagnosis to diet

Taste of the Wild Dog Owners Outside New York — Are You Still Covered?

The case was filed in federal court, which often means a nationwide class gets proposed down the line. But the exact geographic scope of the proposed class here is UNVERIFIED — it hasn’t been confirmed from a public source yet, so don’t assume coverage outside New York until the complaint or a court order spells it out.

If your dog was on this food for months or years and later developed heart problems, that’s worth a closer look — not written off as coincidence.

Not sure if you qualify for the Taste of the Wild heart disease lawsuit? A free consultation with a product liability attorney can help you sort out whether you have your own claim, separate from this case.

What Are Taste of the Wild Dog Owners Asking the Court to Award?

No money yet. No claim form yet. The case is at the complaint stage, and the exact relief being sought hasn’t been confirmed from a public source. Consumer cases like this one typically ask for some mix of actual damages, statutory damages, and a court order stopping the marketing claims at issue — but which of those St. Germain specifically requests is UNVERIFIED pending full access to the complaint.

What Could Taste of the Wild Dog Owners Receive If This Case Settles?

Impossible to predict this early. It depends on how many owners come forward, what the evidence shows, and whether the parties even reach settlement talks. Until there’s an actual settlement, nobody can honestly hand you a dollar figure — anyone who does isn’t being straight with you.

What Should Taste of the Wild Dog Owners Do Right Now?

1. Most affected owners aren’t automatically part of anything yet. This is a lawsuit, not a settlement — there’s nothing to file.
2. Save these documents now: vet records and diagnosis paperwork, purchase receipts or order history for Taste of the Wild grain-free products, and photos of the bag or label you bought.
3. Write down when you started feeding the grain-free formula and when your dog was diagnosed. Timelines matter in cases like this.
4. Lead plaintiff deadline: not applicable. That’s a securities-case concept, and this is a consumer class action.
5. Monitor the docket for St. Germain, et al. v. Schell & Kampeter, Inc., No. 7:26-cv-07556, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.
6. Consider an individual claim. If your dog suffered a serious or fatal heart condition, talk to a product liability attorney now rather than waiting on this case to resolve.

Do you still have the receipt or the bag from when you switched your dog to this food? If not, start looking now — before it disappears for good.

Related article: The Farmer’s Dog Sued Over Excessive Fat in Dog Food, Are You Part of This Class Action?

Taste of the Wild Heart Disease Lawsuit — Full Timeline

Milestone	Date
FDA begins investigating grain-free diets and canine DCM	July 2018
FDA update names Taste of the Wild among most-cited brands in DCM reports	June 27, 2019
St. Germain, et al. v. Schell & Kampeter, Inc. filed	September 4, 2026
Next scheduled hearing	UNVERIFIED — not yet reported publicly
Expected resolution	UNVERIFIED — too early in litigation to estimate

Taste of the Wild Heart Disease — Frequently Asked Questions, No. 7:26-cv-07556

Is there a class action lawsuit against Taste of the Wild for heart disease right now?

 Yes. St. Germain, et al. v. Schell & Kampeter, Inc., No. 7:26-cv-07556, was filed September 4, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, claiming Taste of the Wild’s grain-free dog food caused fatal heart disease in dogs.

Do I need to do anything right now to be part of the Taste of the Wild lawsuit? 

No. The case hasn’t been certified as a class action, and there’s no claim form to fill out yet. If a class is certified and the case later settles, affected owners are typically notified through the court or a settlement administrator.

When will the Taste of the Wild heart disease case settle?

 There’s no timeline. The lawsuit was only filed in September 2026, and cases like this often take a year or more just to reach class certification, let alone a settlement.

Can I file my own lawsuit against Taste of the Wild instead of joining the class?

 Often, yes — especially if your dog suffered serious or fatal harm. Talk to a product liability attorney about whether an individual claim or waiting on St. Germain makes more sense for your situation.

How will I find out if the Taste of the Wild lawsuit settles?

 If the case is certified and later settles, notice typically goes out through the court, a settlement administrator, or legal news coverage. Check back here as the SDNY docket develops.

What does “lead plaintiff” mean for the Taste of the Wild case and why does the deadline matter?

 “Lead plaintiff” deadlines apply to securities class actions, not consumer cases like this one. St. Germain doesn’t have that kind of deadline — the named plaintiffs are already representing the proposed class.

What specific laws does Taste of the Wild allegedly violate?

 The exact statutes cited in the St. Germain complaint aren’t confirmed from a publicly accessible source at this time. Earlier Schell & Kampeter dog food lawsuits have relied on state consumer protection and false advertising laws.

How much could Taste of the Wild dog owners get if this case settles?

 Too early to say. No settlement exists, and the specific damages requested in the complaint haven’t been confirmed. Comparable pet food class actions have settled anywhere from under $1 million to several million dollars, depending on class size.

Sources Used in This Taste of the Wild Heart Disease Article

• Law360 — “Dog Owners Say ‘Taste Of The Wild’ Food Causes Heart Risks,” by Jonathan Capriel, September 4, 2026: https://www.law360.com/productliability/articles/2521563
• U.S. Food and Drug Administration — “FDA Investigation into Potential Link between Certain Diets and Canine Dilated Cardiomyopathy,” updated June 27, 2019: https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/news-events/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy

Note: The full PACER docket for St. Germain, et al. v. Schell & Kampeter, Inc., No. 7:26-cv-07556 (S.D.N.Y.) requires a paid PACER account. A publicly linkable court-record page was not available at the time of writing and will be added once one is confirmed.

Researched and written by Israr Ahmad, legal content researcher and founder of AllAboutLawyer.com. Facts in this article are verified against Law360’s court reporting and the FDA’s public dilated cardiomyopathy investigation records as of September 15, 2026. Any field that could not be confirmed from a named primary source is marked UNVERIFIED above rather than estimated. Last Updated: September 15, 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or veterinary advice. Laws vary by state and individual circumstances differ. For advice about your specific situation, consult a qualified attorney or veterinarian.