Petco: Where the Chinese treats don’t go

With Chinese-made products suspected in the deaths of more than 1,000 dogs it’s no wonder Petco has removed Chinese-sourced food products from its 1,300 stores.

Petco announced it has completely removed all China-made dog and cat treats from shelves nationwide, including at Unleashed by Petco stores and online at Petco.com. Petco said the move makes Petco the first national pet specialty retailer to complete this transition.

"As a trusted partner for pet parents, we believe this is the right thing to do, and we're proud to take this step in the best interest of pets," said Jim Myers, Petco CEO. "What we feed our pets matters, and this milestone supports the company's steadfast commitment to putting our customers, partners, animals and the communities we serve first."

The company said the decision to discontinue the sale of China-made treats allows it to expand the assortment of safe and healthy alternatives that are made in the United States, or in other regions around the globe that support complete pet health.

According to a recent survey, "Natural, Organic and Eco-Friendly Pet Products in the U.S." by Packaged Facts, 55% of dog owners and 48% of cat owners agree that fear of pet food contamination and product safety is a key consideration for the pet foods they buy. The survey also found that 61% of dog owners and 50% of cat owners seek out food made in the United States.

"Customer response to our expanded assortment of treats has been great," Myers added. "And we are equally pleased at just how responsive our vendor partners have been in helping us source an entirely new line-up of high-quality, predominantly U.S.-made treat and chew alternatives."