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1,000 Dogs Sick From Chinese Treats Sold Under US Company Name

  • Spence Cooper
  • September 3, 2012

According to complaints filed by pet owners and veterinarians to federal health officials, approxmately 1,000 dogs have become sick from eating chicken jerky pet treats from China.

Update: Thanks to a recent comment we learned more current information from JoNel Aleccia, with NBC News indicates there are 2,000 reports of illnesses or deaths in U.S. dogs that ate jerky treats made in China, and the petition referenced in this article now has over 21,000 signatures.

Despite the FDA previously issuing a cautionary warning regarding chicken jerky products to consumers as far back as September 2007, these products still remain on the market.

JoNel Aleccia, with NBC News points out that since then, complaints have steadily increased, putting growing pressure on the FDA to solve the problem.

The cautionary update in 2011 specifically refers to chicken jerky products that are imported from China. These dried chicken jerky products, intended for dogs, may also be sold as tenders, strips or treats.

But now the FDA has also received reports of illness associated with other types of jerky treats, such as duck and sweet potato jerky treats.

According to an Ohio lawmaker, the FDA sent inspectors earlier this year to Chinese plants that make the jerky treats. An FDA spokeswoman claimed Monday no results of those inspections are yet available.

Three top brands of chicken jerky treats were among those most recently cited by pet owners and veterinarians in complaints:

Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch brands produced by Nestle Purina PetCare Co., and Milo’s Kitchen Home-style Dog Treats, produced by the Del Monte Corp.

A Chinese company, JOC Great Wall Corp. Ltd. of Nanjing, China, produced and supplied Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek Ranch treats.

That means a Chinese company produces and supplies pet food under the American company name of Nestle Purina PetCare Company, based in St. Louis, Missouri.

Robin Pierre, 50, of Pine Bush, N.Y., contends that Waggin’ Train chicken jerky treats were responsible for the sudden death last fall of her previously healthy 2-year-old pug, Bella, who developed kidney failure.

“Right now the laws are protecting the rights of these manufacturers and we as victims/consumers have none,” Pierre wrote in an email to msnbc.com.

Pierre is the founder of a petition to ban the jerky treats which now has logged more than 10,445 signatures.

The FDA claims that despite repeated tests since 2007, FDA scientists have been unable to detect any toxin responsible for the animal illnesses. The agency has asked certain pet owners to send in samples of suspect treats along with their animals’ veterinary records.

1,000 Dogs Sick From Chinese Treats Sold Under US Company NameMilo’s Kitchen paid at least one owner who complained about a sick dog $100 in exchange for a release of all liability.

The company examined treats submitted by the pet owner and reviewed veterinary records for the animal, according to Joanna DiNizio, a spokeswoman for the firm.

“Following the evaluation, the veterinarian consultant concluded the symptoms experienced by the pet were not related to consuming Milo’s Kitchen chicken jerky treats,”DiNizio said.

“What the company is up to is to try to assuage consumer complaints without accepting liability,”said Ron Simon, a Texas food safety lawyer.

Simon notes that in most states, pets, no matter how precious, are regarded as property with little change of recovering damages beyond the animal’s literal worth.

Most lawyers probably wouldn’t accept such a case, he added. “You don’t get mental anguish”

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