You may have followed the events of the pet food recall that occurred in 2007 when an unusual number of cats and dogs began to show signs of kidney problems. Wheat gluten and rice protein powder from China that had been adulterated with melamine was eventually targeted as the source of the problem. The story of the events leading up to the recall, as told in this book, illustrate the problems caused by the globalization of our food system, paired with an antiquated and overwhelmed regulatory system in the US. The implications extend far beyond pet food. The chihuahua in the coal mine refers to the author's opinion that this crisis may have been our wake-up call to make the changes necessary to improve the safety of our own food supply, as well as that of our pets.

Pros: interesting detail on who did what, when

Cons: a lot of the facts are still hidden by the pet food companies and government