A Portland man sued Wild Coast Pet Food after his 4-year-old cat, Kira, died from bird flu, alleging the company's raw chicken posed undisclosed risks.
PORTLAND, Ore. — A Portland man is suing Wild Coast Pet Food, a company based in Olympia, Wash., after his cat died from the H5N1 virus, also known as bird flu, which he believes was linked to the company’s raw pet food.
The lawsuit, filed in Multnomah County, alleges that the company misled consumers about the safety of its products and failed to disclose the risks associated with raw chicken. Tim Hanson is seeking $7,951.51 in damages, including veterinary bills.
“I'm just really sad. This cat was only four. She had a great life,” Hanson said of his cat, Kira, who died in February.
Hanson adopted Kira and her brother in 2021, recalling Kira as “just a happy little grey cat, just four years old. Very full of energy, very happy.”
In January 2025, he purchased Wild Coast’s raw chicken pet food. Hanson, a longtime advocate of raw pet food, said he believed in its health benefits and had recently switched brands to Wild Coast Pet Foods.
“I have traditionally fed my cats raw food whenever possible because I believe in the health benefits of it. Her brother also receives raw food. He also lives in the house,” Hanson said.
One day in early February, Kira suddenly quit eating. Hanson took her to the vet, but there were no immediate answers. The next day, her brother also stopped eating, and Hanson brought both cats in for further evaluation on Feb. 5.
“Took them in, and Kira was getting sick, she was not eating. Very lethargic and that kind of stuff,” he said.
Doctors recommended an avian flu test, and a few days later, Hanson received devastating news and said Kira's health continued to get worse.
“She continued to decline. Her appetite, her energy, that type of thing. She was in a series of hospital visits and that kind of stuff,” he said.
Kira was euthanized at DoveLewis Emergency Animal Hospital on February 9.
More than a month after Kira’s death, Hanson filed a civil lawsuit against Wild Coast Pet Food. The lawsuit alleges that the company advertised its food as “healthy and safe” but failed to disclose that raw chicken posed a high risk of carrying bird flu, particularly since the company sourced its chicken from California and Washington — states with the highest rates of bird flu outbreaks.
“There will be nothing to bring my Kira back, which ideally is all I want,” Hanson said.
The lawsuit claims that Wild Coast continued to advertise its raw pet food as USDA-inspected and AAFCO-approved despite the known risks of raw poultry. Hanson argues that he would not have purchased the product had he known about the dangers.
Hanson also believes the company should have acted more quickly to prevent further harm.
“I'm not happy that if they were alerted on the 7th of February that my cat did test positive, I'm very disappointed that it wasn't recalled immediately,” he said.
On March 1, nearly a month after Kira's diagnosis and several reports of cats becoming infected with the virus, Wild Coast voluntarily recalled several raw food products and has since switched to using cooked chicken.
Hanson also cited significant medical expenses and concern for other pet owners.
“They really should've got the word out to help other cats from getting sick and dying,” he said.
According to Oregon's Department of Agriculture, at least one other cat in Multnomah County reportedly died after eating Wild Coast’s raw chicken, and Washington State Department of Agriculture confirmed at least one cat was euthanized as well after contracting the virus linked to the company.
“She was one of the earlier ones, and it's heartbreaking,” Hanson said.
As for Kira’s brother, Hanson said he showed symptoms but was never tested.
“He quit eating for a few days and the vet didn't think of testing him; they didn't think his condition was bad enough. He's completely normal now,” he said.
Hanson still has two other male cats at home but says the mood in the house has changed.
“The energy in the house is much different now. I can tell they're grieving. Things are really quiet in the house,” he said.
As for feeding raw pet food again?
Wild Coast Pet Food didn't return KGW's email seeking a comment about the lawsuit.
