MORE PET TREATS DROPPED FROM STORES

As if the abandonment of Kai the Shar Pei wasn't enough we also have another incident of treats from China sickening and killing dogs. The latest wave of pet illness and deaths has prompted Petco to remove all Chinese product from their shelves. Petco will carry only treats made in the United States, Australia, New Zealand or South America. PetSmart announced its decision to discontinue the sale of Chinese-made treats removing all such product from its shelves by March.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is  currently investigating reports that the Chinese-made product sold at Petco as well as other pet stores are responsible for illness in over 5,600 dogs, 24 cats, 3 people and the deaths of about 1,000 dogs. The treats suspected are the jerky-type treats containing duck, sweet potato, yams and dried fruits ingredients.

I've written about Chinese-made pet treats before. Be very diligent and go over all the fine-print on packaging before buying any pet treats. Unless I'm completely convinced the treats are made in the U.S.A. I will not purchase them. In fact, I've purchased several pet cookbooks instead so I can bake treats at home for Annie. She prefers the home-made cookies and I have the added advantage of knowing exactly what ingredients are in them.

My heart goes out to all those who lost their pets because of this situation. Write your representatives in government to get stricter controls on food products from foreign countries not only for our pets but for ourselves. Pet stores and pet food companies need to step up policing of the products they present to the public by knowing more about the companies from which they purchase ingredients or finished products.

And kudos to Petco, PetSmart and any other pet-product supplier who chooses product responsibly.

                                              Courtesy Webweaver.