Petco pulls Chinese treats from stores

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) took to Twitter on Wednesday to thank Petco for removing China-made dog and cat treats from its stores. 

“China must be held to higher food standards,” he said in his tweet to the big box pet supply store.

Starting Jan. 1, Petco and Unleashed by Petco retail stores stopped carrying dog and cat treats that are manufactured in China. In a news release, the store said it has been actively reducing its China-made products and expanding America-made offerings for the last several years. 

“We know pet parents’ concerns regarding China-made products have continued to increase over time and we feel this is the right time to complete the final step in our transition,” John Sturm, Petco’s vice president of pet nutrition and merchandising, said in the release.  

Though the Food and Drug Administration received reports of an increase in dog and cat illnesses and deaths, the agency has not confirmed that China products are to blame. 

Regardless, Petco said pet parents’ concerns about the safety of China treats were significant enough to pull the products from its shelves. 

“This milestone supports Petco’s belief that what we feed our pets matters,” Sturm said. “We’re proud to be the first national retailer to make this transition.”