Petco and Petsmart have announced plans to stop carrying pet treats imported from China after last week’s FDA announcement that they can’t find the cause of 4,800 dog and cat illnesses. The government has been researching this issue for seven years and cannot figure out what is going wrong.
Veterinarians and the government are reminding pet owners that these treats are not necessary to a pet’s nutrition or health. Safety advocates have been asking the government to ban these imported treats for years, but nothing has been done.
Food & Water Watch commends Petco and Petsmart for taking this step, but say that they should remove those products from their shelves immediately rather than simply phasing them out. More than 1,000 dogs have died after consuming these treats. Three people have also become sick. The common denominator in all of these illnesses is pet treats manufactured in China.
Wenonah Hauter, executive director of that agency said in a statement, “Petco plans to deplete its current inventory of Chinese pet treats before its ban goes into effect. Petsmart has stated that its ban will not take effect until March of 2015. But pets are already falling ill from consuming these produts, and if these major companies want to be truly responsible corporate players, they’d immediately remove them from their shelves. Meanwhile, Food & Water Watch calls on the FDA to ban the import of pet treats from China.”
We implore you Petco and Petsmart who we have shown such loyalty to over the years to remove all treats made in China from your shelves immediately before more of our precious babies die. Bean example to the world of just how much you stand behind your commitment to take care of Americas pets!!
Thank you
Seriously, you are killing our dogs. Please step up as leaders in the industry and prove to us you really care about our babies. Now not later !!!!