Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Live Today

Iraqi TV Airs PSAs Calling For Release of Jill Carroll; Dog Chewing Product Blamed For Painful Pet Deaths; New Fed Chairman Bernanke Addresses Congress

Aired February 15, 2006 - 10:30   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR, CNN LIVE TODAY: Also on Capitol Hill at this hour, the nation's top economist testifies before the House Financial Services Committee. New Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the nation's economy has snapped out of its end-of-year lull. But he says inflation and other concerns still remain.
And in rural Maryland, it's as if a clash of cultures, as a -- as a clash of vehicles. There was an accident this morning involving an Amish horse and buggy and SUV. Initial reports say two people were injured and taken to the hospital.

They're supposed to be good for your dog's teeth. Could America's most popular pet treat cause serious problems or even death? It's a CNN investigation coming up.

And, Jill Carroll's family and friends making a direct appeal to Iraqis trying to gain her release. We're live from Baghdad with the latest when CNN LIVE TODAY returns.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: A new effort to secure the release of American hostage Jill Carroll. She was kidnapped more than a month ago. Now an Iraqi television station is running public service announcements in a direct appeal to her abductors. Aneesh Raman joins us live from Baghdad this morning.

Aneesh, hello.

ANEESH RAMAN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.

It is a unique attempt to get the message out that Jill Carroll is of course still in custody and that information is need to secure her rescue. Those PSAs started airing last night on the state-run Iraqi network. One is about a minute, the other a minute and a half.

In the PSAs, Iraqis speak directory to the hostage takers. One woman telling them to imagine Jill Carroll as their wife or their sister, and imagine if they could still hold her then. Also Jill Carroll's mother is seen making a statement to those holding her captive. It is translated into Arabic. A translator narrated throughout the PSA says Jill Carroll loves Iraq and that she is here to report on the story of the Iraqi people. I went and met with the station manager today. He said it was an easy decision to air this PSA. That they are doing all they can to secure Jill Carroll's release. And Iraqis we've spoken to today have seen it, some have not. And they say while they have a lot on their plate, a lot of issues to contend with on a daily basis, Jill Carroll and her plight has hit home with Iraqis.

They know what this is about. Iraqis kidnapped on a near daily basis. Two Iraqi journalists still in insurgent captivity. With that February 26th deadline new deadline, that her captors have set looming ahead, the "Christian Science Monitor," the place that Jill Carroll works in Iraq, trying to make sure people don't forget her cause -- Daryn.

KAGAN: What about recent violence today in Baghdad, Aneesh?

RAMAN: Yeah, Daryn, three children were killed today after a roadside bomb exploded near their elementary school. It exploded just as they were walking into school this morning. One of several incidents that left at least 11 people killed, three car bombs throughout the capital, throughout the day. The main target once again, Iraqi police force. Daryn?

KAGAN: Aneesh Raman live from Baghdad. Aneesh, thank you.

When we come back, dog owners, dog lovers, you are not going to want to miss this next report. It's about one of the most popular dog treats in America. Possibly could be bad for your dog. We'll tell you more just ahead.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: Dog lovers, this is the story you will not want to miss this morning. It is about the number one selling dog treat in the country and its purpose to keep your dog's teeth healthy. But some dog owners say the treat is dangerous and possibly even deadly, while the company that make the product says that's just not true. Our Consumer Correspondent Greg Hunter has investigated the claims and reveals what he's uncovered. We do want to warn you, some of the pictures you are about to see may be difficult to watch.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GREG HUNTER, CNN CONSUMER CORRESPONDENT (voice over): This is Tyson. An eight-month-old boxer who before Christmas was happy, healthy and full of life. But not long after these pictures were taken, he suddenly died.

LEAH FALLS, TYSON'S OWNER: I kept waiting for someone to say they had the wrong dog, or, you know, it was a shock.

HUNTER: The cause of Tyson's death was a mystery to his owners, Leah Falls and Josh Glass.

JOSH GLASS, TYSON'S OWNER: I couldn't imagine what it could have been. HUNTER: Doctors couldn't either, until they discovered a severe blockage in his intestine.

GLASS: It was very clear it was something dense and firm that had caused an obstruction.

HUNTER: Here is the object Doctor Kevin Schlanger (ph) removed. It's a dog treat called a Greenie. It's the hottest selling dog treat on the market. Shaped like a toothbrush, advertised as edible. It claims to clean dog's teeth. There are different sizes to match your dog's weight. Many dog owners seem to love them. Just last year, Greenies sold 325 million treats worldwide. Nearly tripling the sales of its nearest competitor, Milkbone. The credit goes to this man, Joe Roetheli, of Kansas City, Missouri, the founder of S&M Nutec, the company that makes Greenies.

JOE ROETHELI, FOUNDER, S&M NUTEC: Dogs really love the product. They do a very effective job of cleaning teeth and freshening breath.

HUNTER (on camera): But along with skyrocketing sales across the country, CNN has learned about dozens of cases where Greenies have caused life threatening obstructions in dogs, raising safety questions.

(Voice over): Recently in New York, Mike Eastwood and his wife Jenny Reiff filed a lawsuit asking for $5 million in damages. They claim, the product is defective and blamed Greenies for intestinal blockage that caused the slow, painful death of their dog, Burt.

JENNIFER REIFF, BURT'S OWNER: I miss him and think about him every single day.

MIKE EASTWOOD, BURT'S OWNER: I'm mad that their packaging states that the product is 100 percent edible, highly digestible, veterinarian approved. Yet our dog died from it.

HUNTER: The company won't comment on the case. But in court papers, it denied the allegations.

(On camera): Is your product defective?

ROETHELI: Our product is safe. It is used every day by thousands of dogs, millions a week. And it is basically a very safe product.

HUNTER: Still, local television and newspapers across the country have reported case after case of Greenies getting stuck in dog's throats or intestines causing severe problems, including death.

(On camera): So Greenies can cause a significant health risk to a dog?

DR. MICHAEL LEIB, VETRINARIAN, VIRGINIA TECH: Absolutely.

HUNTER: Doctor Michael Leib is a Virginia Tech professor and veterinarian gastroenterologist. He showed us the problem on videotape of a 2004 surgery he performed. LEIB: We're looking inside the esophagus now, half-way towards the stomach.

HUNTER: Doctor Leib says this is a piece of Greenie stuck deep inside a dog's throat. After two days, he says, it was still solid. Even though the surgery was difficult, he successfully removed it.

(On camera): You saved a dog.

LEIB: In this case, we did.

HUNTER: Doctor Brendan McKiernan is a Denver veterinarian.

DR. BRENDAN MCKIERNAN, VETERINARIAN: This is a dog that came in to us.

HUNTER: In little more than two years, his clinic has seen at least seven dogs with solid pieces of Greenies stuck inside them. Those cases prompted McKiernan to start studying obstructs from treats like Greenies. He says his research shows compressed vegetable chew treats like Greenies are now the third biggest cause of throat obstructions in dogs, behind bones and fishhooks.

MCKIERNAN: They don't break down.

HUNTER (on camera): When you say, don't break down, what's that mean?

MCKIERNAN: Well, they're still solid. They take them out and these things are still hard when you tap on them. They're not like a Cheerio that breaks down, dissolves in your mouth. This is a product that doesn't seem to do that.

HUNTER: But the manufacturer says in most cases Greenies do break down. And they urge dog owners to pick the right size treat for their dog.

(On camera): So just what's in a Greenie? Things like wheat gluten and fiber. Experts tell us nothing all that unusual. But the process used to form a greenie makes it really hard. And the company says it has to be that way in order to clean a dog's teeth when it's chewed.

(Voice over): On each package there is also a warning, the fine print says, "Monitor your dog to ensure the treat is adequately chewed. Gulping any item can be harmful or even fatal to a dog."

This group of Denver dog owners all insist they followed package instructions and still their dogs got sick. Some say they fed their dogs Greenies for a year or more before they had a problem. Others, all it took was one.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It got stuck in his esophagus. It didn't go up or down and almost killed him.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: She is not going to gulp this any more than she gulps her food or any other treat, and nothing else that is choked her nearly to death.

HUNTER: Ruthie Shimabukuro's dog, a Samoan died after being sick for a week, a Greenie got stuck in its intestine.

RUTHIE SHIMABUKARO, DOG DIED: She was suffering a great deal. I feel so bad that she had to suffer so much.

HUNTER: And these dog owners are not alone. Our CNN investigation discovered 40 cases since 2003 where a veterinarian extracted a Greenie from a dog. The average weight of the dogs was about 40 pounds. In 13 cases, the pet died. Like Fern Finer's dog Twiggy in Los Angeles.

FERN FINER, DOG DIED: I was -- I just started crying because it's this is my baby. This is like part of my life. You know? She was everything to me.

HUNTER (on camera): How many deaths, injuries, complaints, have you had?

ROETHELI: It's a very, very, very low number.

HUNTER: Roetheli and his company vet, Doctor Brad Quest say the focus should instead be on dental benefits. For instance, they say Greenies are much safer than putting a dog under anesthesia to clean teeth.

(On camera): You are saying that the good Greenies do, taking care of teeth, far outweighs any deaths or injuries on the other end.

ROETHELI: There is a very, very low down side risk with them. There is a huge benefit that many, many dogs have been saved, in effect, by having Greenies versus not having any care, or using a different type of oral care treatment.

HUNTER: But vets say the big problem with Greenies, if they're swallowed in chunks, they won't break down.

DR. BRAD QUEST, S&M NUTEC VETERINARIAN: Most of the veterinarians we have contact with are very supportive and have absolutely no issues with the Greenies.

HUNTER (on camera): But the ones that we've talked to have. They've taken them out of dogs, still intact. Doesn't that concern you guys?

ROETHELI: Certainly, it concerns us. And we look at it and try to do the best that we possibly can to deal with issues like that, try to learn from them. It's why we're working with FDA closely, voluntarily, to get to the bottom of what the cause is.

HUNTER (voice over): The Food and Drug Administration says it's looking into eight complaints. But has not formally launched an investigation. CNN also spoke with several vets who recommend the product. QUEST: At the end of the day, Greg, literally millions of Greenies are enjoyed by dogs on a weekly basis with absolutely no incidents.

GLASS: This is Tyson right here.

HUNTER: Unfortunately, that wasn't the case for Tyson who died in December.

FALLS: Our vet probably felt like he was very, very sick, which in my head was just a nice way of saying he suffered. He was in pain.

HUNTER: Greg Hunter, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KAGAN: We want to point out that you that Greg Hunter's story first ran on CNN's "Paula Zahn Now". You can watch other investigative pieces on Paula's show which airs weeknights on CNN, 8:00 p.m. Eastern.

The world's largest retailer ordered to carry a certain birth control pill. Susan Lisovicz has that and a check of other business headlines ahead.

And everything is coming up roses for a California couple. They have four green thumbs and a record setting rose bush.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

KAGAN: At this hour on Capitol Hill Yahoo!, Google and other Internet companies are on the hot seat. Internet executives are testifying before the House International Relations Subcommittee. They face tough questions about censorship agreements they've agreed to in order to do business in China. A Democratic committee member Tom Lantos has claimed the Internet companies have caved in to Chinese censorship for the sake of profits.

Speaking of profits, let's check in on Wall Street. Susan Lisovicz is there.

Hi, Susan.

SUSAN LISOVICZ, CNN FINANCIAL CORRESPONDENT: Hi, Daryn. You know, Washington's a busy place today because the new Federal Reserve chief is testifying in Washington today as well. Ben Bernanke has been on the job for less than two weeks now, but right at this moment he is delivering the central bank's semi-annual report to Congress.

The Fed Chief taking a hawkish stance on inflation indicating that he sees the need for more interest rate hikes to keep inflation in check. Bernanke also says U.S. economy has snapped out of an end- of-year lull and is in a sustained expansion.

We're seeing a sustained expansion here on wall street as well. The Dow industrials had triple-digit gains yesterday adding about 20 points, to right now at 11,048. That's a nice number. We haven't been at those levels in about a month -- well, since yesterday it was about a month since we had reached 11,000. Nasdaq, meanwhile, up 12 points or .5 percent.

Wal-Mart in focus today, too. Says it plans to comply with a ruling in Massachusetts ordering the company's pharmacies to carry emergency contraception pills. The state's pharmacy board ruled in favor of three women who filed complaints against the world's largest retailer for refusing to fill their prescriptions.

The so-called Plan B pill can be taken up to five days after sex to prevent pregnancy. It is come under fire from abortion opponents who believe emergency contraception is a form of abortion.

That's the latest from here. Daryn, back to you.

KAGAN: All right, Susan. Thank you.

Let's look at other stories making news coast to coast this morning. In Seattle, an Alaska Airlines jet bound for Denver quickly returned to the airport after an alarm indicated a problem with the plane's automatic pressure pressurization system. Five passengers were treated for what was described as minor ear and sinus pain.

An alleged human smuggling ring along the Canadian/U.S. border has been broken with the arrested of at least 17 people. Suspects are accused of charging thousands of dollars to help people cross the border. Authorities say migrants were forced to hang on to the sides of freight trains or stuck in car trunks and cargo trailers.

An Ohio couple accused of forcing some of them adopted children to sleep in cages has been indicted for child endangerment. Michael and Sharon Gravell (ph) say the enclosures were necessary to keep the children from harming themselves or one another. The children suffer from a variety of disorders, including fetal alcohol syndrome.

In Chicago, a jail guard who allegedly admitted he helped six inmates escape is scheduled to appear in court later today to face felony charges. Investigators say Darren Gator (ph), originally told them the inmates overpowered him. They say he later admitted to aiding in the escape to embarrass the outgoing sheriff and try to influence the upcoming election. All six detainees were captured.

To San Diego: A rose bush by any other name wouldn't be so tall. A couple managed to wind the Guinness World Record for growing the tallest free-standing rose bush. They've named the hybrid tea rose "Bewitched". It's 13'3", and bears blooms that routinely measure eight inches across. Very nice.

Smells good. We can't even smell it. If it was smell-a-vision, that would work well.

JACQUI JERAS, CNN METEOROLOGIST: It would come in handy on so many occasions, wouldn't it?

KAGAN: Sometimes its a just as well that we can't. JERAS: You know, my daffodils are up, Daryn?

KAGAN: A little early. Wouldn't you say?

JERAS: My Camellias are blooming. Absolutely. Very early for them to be coming up. But temperatures have been so warm across the East, other than the cool down and that snow from the weekend.

(WEATHER FORECAST)

KAGAN: The House is about to release a scathing report on Hurricane Katrina. Michael Chertoff faces his critics in a Senate hearing. We're waiting. We are minutes away from the start of that hearing. We'll bring it to you live.

And on a lighter note, the latest from the Olympic Games in Torsion where a football player is trying to make his mark on the ski slopes. The second our of CNN LIVE TODAY will get started after this break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com