A Wheeling-based pet food-maker is voluntarily recalling some of its dog food after it was found to contain a sedative used to euthanize animals. Several dogs in Washington state became sick on New Year's Eve after eating the food, and one died, Evanger's Pet Food said.

The pug, named Talula, died after consuming Hunk of Beef dog food, according to Evanger's website. A subsequent toxicology report found the drug pentobarbital, a sedative, was found in the dog's stomach. The owner's three other pugs were sick after consuming the food, but survived.

Evanger's, a family-owned business, has severed its relationship with a beef supplier and promised to guarantee the safety of its products in the future. Evanger's has posted several updates for customers on its website.

"We are sorry we let you down, but we will make a better pet industry because of it," Evanger's owners wrote on their website. "First and foremost we are pet parents," they wrote.

"Although nearly all product involved in this recall have already been consumed by pets without incident, we have decided to initiate the recall as a proactive measure against the remote possibility of any illness. Although only one household in the country reported illness, out of the five lots that are being recalled, we feel it is the right thing to do," the statement read.

Earlier this week, Brett and Chelsea Sher, who work at the pet food company with owners Joel and Holly Sher, followed up with a nearly five-minute video apologizing to their customers and explaining why they decided to recall five lots of Hunk of Beef. They also promised "transparency" as they continued to investigate what happened.

Last month, the company launched an investigation after learning about Talula's death on social media.

Results from an independent lab found no contaminants in their Hunk of Beef product, Evanger's said.

The Shers said they paid veterinary bills for the four pugs in Washington state and made a donation to a local animal shelter.

In the video, the Evanger's owners said that after further research, they learned that pentobarbital can be found in other dry pet foods if they are made with euthanized cow meat. Further, they said, once an animal has been euthanized, there are no regulations requiring veterinarians to tag the meat as such, allowing the meat to find its way into the food chain.

"We were unaware of the problem of pentobarbital in the pet food industry because it is most pervasive in dry foods that source most of their ingredients from rendering plants, unlike Evanger's, which mainly manufactures canned foods that would not have any rendered materials in its supply chain," Evanger's owners wrote on their website. "All of our raw materials are sourced from USDA-inspected facilities, and many of them are suppliers with whom we have had long-standing relationships."

Evanger's beef, they added, is approved by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The recall, the Shers wrote on their website, "is a simple task, and goes a very long way to ensure safety in many areas."

crshropshire@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @corilyns

More here:

Wheeling-based Evanger's recalls dog food found to contain euthanasia drug - Chicago Tribune