Joseph Journell thought he was doing the wholesome thing when he fed raw, unpasteurized milk to his cats. Journell also drank the raw milk, thinking it provided benefits that pasteurized milk did not have.

After two of his pets died in late 2024 and a third became seriously ill he realized the raw milk from Raw Farm LLC was dangerous.

Journell’s cats Alexander and Tuxedo died horrible deaths involving convulsions and blindness and a third cat, Big Boy, was hospitalized for eight days in critical condition. A fourth cat that did not drink the raw milk remained healthy. Journell himself was feeling sick just before his cats became ill and now believes it was the raw milk.

He said he is not sure when, or if, he will go back to drinking raw milk, which usually costs between $15 and $17 per gallon.

“I think there should be better testing and regulation to make sure it is safe,” Journell said.

Journell, who lives in San Bernardino, CA, paid for testing that showed Big Boy was infected with bird flu. The testing was done at USDA’s National Veterinary Services Laboratories and the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University. The testing, medical bills and other expenses for Big Boy were about $14,000.

Big Boy’s recovery is ongoing. He is partially blind and had to use a wheeled device because he could not walk on his back legs for several weeks. His vision is still impaired but he is walking and eating normally.

Journell is now trying to recover costs from Mark McAfee, the owner of Raw Farm LLC, which is the dairy that produced the raw milk that made Journell and his cats sick.

McAfee has denied all liability, telling Journell that his cats must have gotten bird flu from eating a sick bird. This is impossible as Journell’s cats were all strictly indoor pets.

McAfee also told Journell that his raw milk is safe and said that his own cats at Raw Farm’s dairy drink raw milk and are healthy.

McAfee told Jounell that the Raw Farm LLC milk is entirely safe, saying that the H5N1 bird flu virus can not survive in cold milk for extended periods.

I asked an official with the state health department and she told me that isn’t true, Journell said.

McAfee had to recall his raw milk in November and December of 2024 because it tested positive for the bird flu. California health officials shut down the dairy until McAfee could prove that his milk was not contaminated.

“I feel like he (McAfee) just lied to me to protect his own company,” Journell said.

State and federal officials have been warning the public for months that unpasteurized, raw milk can be contaminated with the bird flu virus, which can infect those who consume it.

“I would tell other pet owners that if their cats begin having any symptoms out of the ordinary that they should seek medical attention fast. If I had done that sooner my other cats might still be alive,” Journell said.

Since Dec. 1, at least 11 cats in California that consumed raw milk and raw pet food have died. There have also been cases of cats in Texas and Oregon dying. In December, 20 animals at a big cat sanctuary in Washington State died as a result of infection with the virus.

Journell is represented by the Marler Clark law firm, headed by food safety attorney Bill Marler. The law firm contacted McAfee on Jan. 1 asking that he immediately reimburse Journell for his expenses.

“This incident represents yet another outbreak linked to Raw Farm and highlights ongoing concerns regarding the safety of your raw milk products,” according to a letter sent by Ilana Korchia of the law firm.

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