The Risks of Librela: What Pet Parents Aren’t Being Told with Attorney Kirk Pope

In this episode of Your Natural Dog, Angela Ardolino is joined by attorney Kirk Pope, who is overseeing multi-plaintiff lawsuits against Zoetis over the veterinary drug Librela. Kirk shares his personal story of losing his own dog after a Librela injection and explains why he believes pet parents were not given the information needed to make an informed decision. Together, Angela and Kirk unpack how veterinary pharmaceuticals are approved, marketed, and incentivized, while animals are treated as property under the law, and what limited legal recourse pet parents actually have when a drug harms or kills their dog.

Episode Recap:

• Angela introduces the episode and explains why Librela has become a major concern, citing FDA warning letters, reported adverse events, and the lack of meaningful repercussions when animal drugs cause harm to our pets, because they are seen as merely property. (00:00)
• Kirk Pope introduces himself as an attorney now overseeing litigation against Zoetis, after losing his dog to Librela, discussing the problem with financial incentives being attached to vets prescribing pharmaceuticals. (02:16)
• Angela asks what led Kirk to take legal action, he shares how at the time of his dog’s injection, U.S. warnings for Librela listed only UTIs and injection-site reactions, with no mention of neurological or fatal risks (05:06)
• Kirk shares how Zoetis know that adverse event data had emerged internationally before U.S. disclosure, Librela had more extensive warnings in other countries, and why failing to warn pet parents in the U.S. constitutes a fraudulent omission by Zoetis. (10:35)
• Kirk explains why recalls are almost always voluntary and why the FDA cannot easily force a drug like Librela off the market, and the aim of his multi-plaintiff lawsuits against Zoetis, when damages are so limited because of pets being considered property. (14:39)
• Angela and Kirk examine the ethical conflict between profit, prescribing behavior, and the veterinary oath to do no harm. (22:16)
• The conversation shifts to pain management, emphasizing that Librela is a pain-blocking drug, not a treatment for arthritis or inflammation. Angela explains the five pain signaling pathways and contrasts single-target pharmaceuticals with whole-plant therapies that interact with multiple systems. (29:04)
• Kirk explains that once the FDA approves a prescription drug, pet parents can’t legally claim the drug itself is defective; the only legal accountability lies in whether manufacturers failed to properly warn veterinarians and pet owners about known risks and adverse effects. (34:03)
• Angela emphasizes the importance of education, advocacy, and refusing blind trust when it comes to pet health, and Kirk explains how affected pet parents can contact him and share their own adverse experiences with Librela. (41:07)

Episode Resources:

• Download Angela’s Resources including Safe, Natural Options for Arthritis Pain Relief in Pets and more at AngelaArdolino.com/podcast-downloads 
• Join Donna Pope’s Librela group on Facebook
• Pope McGlamry Attorneys at Law
• Have a question about your pet that you want answered on the podcast? Email us at Carter@yournaturaldog.com 
• Sign up for episode reminders and updates from Your Natural Dog with Angela Ardolino

Follow Your Natural Dog on Facebook and Instagram and if you want to see what Angela is up to, follow her on Facebook or join our CBD & Holistic Pet Advice Facebook Group.

 

About Angela Ardolino

Angela Ardolino, a certified cannabis and fungi clinician, brings over 20 years of expertise to the field of holistic pet wellness. As a graduate of the inaugural Medical Cannabis for Therapeutic Use program at the University of Vermont School of Medicine, she is a passionate advocate for safe, natural, and ethically-grown whole plant and fungi medicine tailored for pets.

Committed to the highest standards, Angela continues to educate and inspire pet parents through her popular podcast, Your Natural Dog, where she hosts experts to discuss holistic pet care, natural remedies, nutrition, and training. Follow Angela Ardolino on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to stay updated on her mission to educate and empower pet parents everywhere. 

About Kirk Pope

Kirkland Pope joined Pope McGlamry in 2006 and practices out of Pope McGlamry’s Atlanta office. Pope is currently focusing on practicing law in the areas of tort liability, personal injury, products liability, commercial litigation, consumer protection, and wrongful death.

After the sudden death of his dog following a Librela injection, Kirk began investigating the drug’s safety and marketing practices alongside his wife, Donna Pope. What started as a personal loss led to a broader legal inquiry into Zoetis and Librela, drawing on Kirk’s decades of experience holding manufacturers accountable for failure to warn and product-related harm. In this episode, Kirk shares what pet parents should understand about how veterinary drugs are approved, marketed, and litigated—and why transparency matters when animal lives are at stake.