A toddler in California ended up in intensive care after drinking raw goat milk from an unlicensed farm. Today, raw milk can still be sold in the state as pet food with no license, no inspection and no testing. The California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) and the California State Legislature have the power to close this loophole before another child gets hurt.

In January 2026, Emily Marris started buying raw goat milk for her 17-month-old daughter, Brooklyn, from Moonlight Ridge, an unlicensed farm in Riverside County. In June, Brooklyn was diagnosed with a dangerous strain of E. coli and developed hemolytic uremic syndrome, a condition that can damage the kidneys and blood vessels. She needed a breathing tube and dialysis. A 6-year-old girl, Victoria Galindo, was hospitalized with the same strain after drinking milk from the same farm, according to ProPublica. The farm owner denies her milk caused the illnesses, and both families have filed a lawsuit.

Selling unlicensed raw milk for people to drink is already illegal in California. But milk labeled as pet food skips the license and the safety testing. ProPublica reported that CDFA closed its investigation without any fines and helped the farmer get approval to keep selling milk labeled as pet food. Nothing stops buyers from giving that milk to their kids.

Brooklyn now walks with a limp and faces lifelong kidney problems.

This is not about taking away anyone's food choices. It is about honest labels and real safety checks. CDFA and state lawmakers should require raw milk sold as pet food to be licensed and tested, just like raw milk sold for people.

Sign the petition to tell CDFA and California lawmakers to close the pet food loophole now, before another family ends up in a children's hospital.