Stella & Chewy's has two documented voluntary recalls, both in 2015 and both for Listeria monocytogenes. The July 2015 recall followed a Maryland Department of Agriculture stop-sale order on one lot of freeze-dried dog patties. The December 2015 recall followed a Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development stop-sale order on a frozen dog food lot and covered 990 cases. No illnesses were reported in the July recall.
Reviewed October 2026. Part of Everything-PR's pet industry coverage, at everything-pr.com/pets.
What happened in the July 2015 Stella & Chewy's recall?
The July 2015 recall began when the Maryland Department of Agriculture detected Listeria monocytogenes during surveillance testing and issued a stop-sale order on one lot. The lot was Chewy's Chicken Freeze-Dried Dinner Patties for Dogs, 15 oz bags, Lot 111-15. Stella & Chewy's recalled all products from that lot and, as a precaution, other products that may have been exposed to it, including frozen and freeze-dried items.
The company's notice stated that there were no reported pet or human illnesses associated with the recall, and the Associated Press reported the same.
What happened in the December 2015 recall?
The December 2015 recall began when the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development issued a stop-sale order after a routine surveillance test found Listeria monocytogenes. The product was Stella's Super Beef Dinner Morsels for Dogs, 8.5 oz frozen bags, Lot 165-15.
On 11 December 2015 the company announced a voluntary recall of four products sold in the United States and Canada, totaling 990 cases, of which 964 were in the U.S. and 26 in Canada. Two additional products that had not tested positive were included because they may have been exposed to the affected lot. The FDA published the notice in December 2015.
Has Stella & Chewy's had a recall in 2026?
EPR did not find a 2026 Stella & Chewy's recall notice in the sources it checked on 10 October 2026. Searches that mention "2026" lead back to the two 2015 notices. Some third-party review sites list additional recalls in later years, and EPR could not verify those against FDA or company notices, so they are not counted here. Check the FDA recalls page and the company's recall notice page for current status.
What does the FDA say about raw pet food?
The FDA and the CDC do not recommend feeding raw diets to pets. The FDA has reported that raw pet food was more likely to be contaminated with Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes than other pet food types it tested (Petfood Industry), and the CDC advises against raw diets (Food Business News).
The risk reaches people as well as pets. Penn State Extension advises washing hands with soap and water immediately after handling raw pet food, and storing and thawing it in the refrigerator away from other food.
What did raw pet food brands learn from the 2015 recalls?
Three lessons follow from the public record. These are EPR's analysis, not a finding by a regulator.
First, state regulators found both contaminations. Maryland and Michigan agriculture departments detected Listeria in routine surveillance, so a brand's own testing is not the only gate, and its communications plan has to assume a regulator may announce first.
Second, scope discipline shaped the notices. Each recall named exact lot numbers and used-by dates, and each extended to additional products that may have been exposed to the affected lot. A precise product list lets owners check a bag against the notice.
Third, a founder-signed customer note answered the questions owners ask. The December notice carried a letter from Marie Moody, the company's chairman and founder, and included a Q&A on whether listeriosis is common in pets.
How should a raw pet food brand communicate a recall?
A raw pet food brand should publish the lot numbers, the trigger, and the illness status in the first notice, then update the page as facts change. Freshpet's 2022 single-lot Salmonella recall is EPR's reference case for exact scope and a plain statement of cause. For the contrasting case of a recall tied to animal deaths, see Midwestern Pet Foods' aflatoxin recall, and for a supplier-driven recall, Hill's 2019 vitamin D recall.
Sources
Stella & Chewy's voluntary recall notice, 4 to 5 July 2015, as published by Truth About Pet Food. Stella & Chewy's recall announcement of 11 December 2015, as published through FDA by EIN Presswire on 15 December 2015, and the company's customer note on Pet Pantry Warehouse. Associated Press report on the July 2015 recall. Petfood Industry reports on the FDA raw pet food study and warning. Food Business News on the CDC and FDA position on raw pet food. Penn State Extension, Food Safety Dangers of Raw Pet Food.
Disclosure: Everything-PR News, LLC and 5W AI Communications are linked through a shared interest group. Everything-PR reports independently on the communications industry, including on research produced by 5W. Editorial decisions are made by Everything-PR's editorial team.
More Pet Industry Coverage
Section hub: Pets & Pet Industry on Everything-PR. Category reference: The $158B Pet Industry: 2026 Trade Guide.
