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Rita Desollar
Rita Desollar of Pekin, Ill., has launched a petition calling for retail stores to stop selling chicken jerky pet treats from China. She believes her 8-year-old dog, Heidi, died in May after eating tainted treats.
Rita Desollar’s black minivan has become a rolling warning about the possible dangers of chicken jerky pet treats from China.
Everywhere the 57-year-old Pekin, Ill., woman goes, her car carries a poster detailing the May death of her 8-year-old German shepherd, Heidi.
Desollar says she gave the dog two pieces of Waggin’ Train chicken jerky tenders on a Wednesday and by the next Monday, Heidi was dead.
“I didn't know what it was. I just couldn’t figure out what made her so sick,” said Desollar, who turned to the computer for answers. "It was breathtaking what came up."
Desollar found dozens of news stories and blog accounts detailing government cautions about possible links between Chinese-made chicken jerky treats and illnesses and deaths in hundreds of U.S. dogs.
Manufacturers have issued no recalls for the products and Food and Drug Administration officials say repeated testing and investigation has revealed no contaminants that would lead the agency to advise pulling the treats.
But Desollar said she never saw any warnings and didn’t know about a potential problem -- until it was too late.
Outraged, the retired paralegal said she had no choice but to take matters into her own hands.
“They’re leaving a product on the shelf that can potentially harm a dog. There was no warning. There was nothing to tell me this was under investigation. They just left it out there.”
She launched a Change.org petition Sept. 5 calling for stores to pull the products voluntarily; since then it has gathered more than 60,000 signatures. She stuck the fliers on her car and ordered magnets that say “Stop the Cycle of Death,” along with hundreds of business cards that say “Beware... Chicken Duck and Sweet Potato JERKY TREATS are not safe!”
“I leave the cards on the shelves by the dangerous treats everywhere I see them,” she said. “I have distributed over 1,500 of these cards to date and I have another order of 1,000 on the way.”
Desollar is not alone. Across the U.S., some pet owners -- frustrated by what they say is a lack of government or industry action to get dangerous treats off the market -- have started warning others themselves.
Retailers, pet treat manufacturers and FDA officials all say that there’s no confirmed connection between the Chinese-made jerky treats and pet harm, despite reports of at least 2,200 illnesses and deaths of 360 dogs and 1 cat blamed on the products since 2007.
“This is a very complex public health investigation,” the FDA’s Steven Solomon, a veterinarian and deputy associate commissioner of compliance policy, told NBC News this week. “The tests have not demonstrated significant toxicants.”
Another FDA official, Tracy DuVernoy of the agency’s Coordinated Response and Evaluation Network, told a gathering of veterinarians this summer that the complaints should be put in perspective.
“Two thousand complaints since 2007 is an incredibly small subset of the 15 million animals estimated to consume these treats,” she said, according to an account of the American Veterinary Medical Association conference. “Therefore, it seems that this may very well be some sort of intermittent issue, or it might just be an idiosyncratic reaction within that individual animal.”
Officials with Nestle Purina PetCare Co., which sells the popular Waggin’ Train and Canyon Creek brands of treats, have repeatedly said that internal testing has found no problems with their product and that the treats are safe to feed as directed.
But that hasn’t stopped consumers like Susan Nichols, 64, of Grand Blanc, Mich. She believes that jerky treats caused kidney failure in her 11-year-old Cocker spaniel-dachshund mix, Lucy, last year. So she printed up fliers that she surreptitiously leaves in stores where the products are sold.
“If I’m in Walmart or wherever, I will take my little Scotch tape out of my purse and tape it there,” she said. “It’s just a little thing I do. I’ll just slap one up.”
Jeff Zolman
Jeff Zolman, 42, of Aurora, Colo., said his 9-year-old dog, Bandit, died after eating chicken jerky treats. He asked to put up fliers at a local store, but was turned down.
In Aurora, Colo., Jeff Zolman, 42, was so distraught about the death of his 9-year-old dog, Bandit, that he, too, made posters with the dog’s picture and headed to the Big Lots store where he bought the treats he believes led to her death.
“The manager said he couldn’t post anything up unless it came from corporate,” said Zolman. “I understand where he’s coming from, but I wanted to get it out there for other people.”
Despite such consumer passion, retailers across the country have resisted calls to remove the pet treats from commerce, saying they need more than anecdotal reports to justify the action.
“We’re really sticking with the science at this point,” said Craig Wilson, vice president of food safety and quality assurance at Costco, one of seven stores specifically targeted in Desollar’s petition.
The chain is known for its aggressive food safety monitoring system, which includes stringent tests on jerky treats, Wilson said. So far, repeated examinations have revealed no contaminants that can be linked to reports of animal illness, including kidney failure and Fanconi syndrome.
“I don’t think people understand how hard Costco looks at this,” he said. “If there’s a hole in this boat, I’d like to be the guy who finds it.”
The other stores named in Desollar’s petition include Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target, Safeway, Kroger and Walgreens.
An official with Target noted that the jerky treats are the subject of ongoing lawsuits and said the company could not respond. Several consumers have sued the manufacturers and sellers of the jerky treats in lawsuits filed from California to Connecticut.
Officials with Kroger and Walgreens said those stores abide by FDA guidance on the jerky treat issue.
"If the FDA determines that these or any products are potentially unsafe, they would contact us and we would immediately pull the product," Kroger spokesman Keith Dailey said in an email to NBC News.
Dianna Gee, a spokeswoman for Walmart, added that in addition to FDA standards, that firm requires pet treats to meet requirements of the Global Food Safety Initiative. She said the firm was not aware that any consumers had left behind fliers or cards protesting the treats, but she said shoppers with questions about the products should consult the manufacturers, the FDA or a Walmart manager.
Officials with Safeway did not respond to NBC News phone calls and emails.
One store not named in the latest petition, PetSmart, said in a statement that the firm is monitoring FDA and manufacturer guidance. “At this time, we have no immediate plans to remove product from shelves," they said.
The efforts of Desollar and others may pay off, said Tony Corbo, a lobbyist for the group Food & Water Watch.
“Consumer pressure can be instrumental in getting these treats out of the marketplace,” he said.
“The easiest way to get them out of commerce is for FDA to issue an import alert against these products.”
For their part, FDA officials said they’re continuing to investigate the production processes at the Chinese plants that make chicken jerky and other types of jerky products. A small number of complaints also have cited duck and yam jerky treats.
Inspections of five Chinese plants in April yielded valuable information that has led to increased surveillance, said Solomon. Next month, FDA inspectors will visit Chinese plants that irradiate finished jerky treat products to investigate whether that process is tied to the reports of illness and death. Officials are also examining the sources of glycerin used by the Chinese manufacturers to make the treats.
Desollar is glad that the government is continuing to look into the problem. But she said she’ll continue to take personal action to warn fellow pet owners about the possible danger.
“The FDA is a huge government office,” she said. “Purina is a huge corporation. I can’t walk into the FDA and say, ‘Do something.’ But I can walk into Kroger and say, ‘These treats killed my dog.’”
Related stories:
- Pet jerky treat death toll: 360 dogs, 1 cat, FDA says
- 3 big brands may be tied to chicken jerky illness in dogs, FDA reports show
- Jerky treats from China blamed for pet deaths; owners sue
- FDA data dump shows few toxins in treats; complaints rise to 1,800
Leave a Comment:
Thank you for your fight. I am nauseated when I see these treats still on the shelves. My dog would NOT eat them. I am so sorry for your loss and respectful of your efforts!
OMG! I'd heard about the problems but it's been going on so long, I figured the treats on the shelves nowadays were safe. Glad I changed my mind about buying them.
I also shudder to think what has been happening to our loving pets. I have a little pomeranian to whom we used to give a couple of Waggin Train chicken or duck treats every day for a few years. He used to love them and ate them with no problems for a long time. Starting from about early 2011, he seemed less eager when we gave these treats to him, but would eat them anyway since he was hungry. Then he started throwing up after eating the treats, and seemed to be very low on energy much of the time.
When we stopped the treats and gave him more of the dried and canned dog foods, his excitement and energy level rebounded. Much more happy and playful nowadays.
Never going back to those suspicious meat treats. I'm thankful that he has recovered and is in apparent good health, and pray that there will not be any long-term health problems as a result of eating those treats for a few years.
Anyone who's still buying Chinese poison for their animal deserves what they get. Sadly, the animal doesn't.
If you can't tell where the product was manufactured, don't buy it.
If you're buying ANY kind of food from Big Lots, you're asking for trouble. Much of it is off-brands formulated for sale in other countries with much less-stringent safety requirements. Google "Toothpaste and Big Lots" and read all about it. There's no good reason for these Chinese treats to still be for sale, other than greedy corporations want to be rid of their merchandise. Consumers should be reading labels and asking themselves, should I spend another $1, or let my pet die because I'm cheap?
Walgreens took Waggin' Train off their shelves and then replaced it with their own house brand... made in China. Same $h!t, Different Day.
AG99, does anyone really deserve what they get? Just like burned up people who bought Pintos in the 70's, they deserved it right? You're a chicken jerk
I understand very well the heartbreak of losing a best friend, confidant, playmate, and kid with a lot of hair.
I bought treats off the shelf for years. Fortunately, I learned of the tainted crap from China early on. Now I only give homemade treats or ones made by a local woman and sold where I buy my dog food.
They are so easy to make! I buy liver at the farmers market from local producers. I give it a good soak, squeeze out the water, put in a baking pan with some olive oil, and pop it in the oven at 300d. When it's cooked through, I cut it into pieces about the size of the end of my thumb. Then it's back to the oven at 200d to begin drying. Finally, I turn the oven off and leave the pan in overnight. Since my stove is older, it has a pilot lot that generates enough heat to finish the drying process. Both my dogs and cats love these goodies.
I make small batches ~ 2 weeks worth ~ but larger batches could certainly be made and frozen.
Macdeezy: So you saying it's okay to buy crap for your pet when you've been warned it may kill it? And what does buying cars in the 70s have to do with pet food? Or are you just trolling for a reaction? (congrats)
Name calling says more about you than it does about me.
I feel so sorry for these pet owners. These pets are like their very own kid along with the unconditional love they provide. I had to put one of my Shepherds down recently and the pain was numbing so i could imagine what these people are going through.
It doesn't take much to make your own jerky for your pet. I do it all the time using my very own oven set at the lowest tempurture. I make my own beef and chicken jerky and it's a lot cheaper and i don't see as being inconvience because there's nothing i wouldn't do for my three Shepherds.
The best way to protect our 4 legged buddies is to make all of the treats we give them ourselves!
Its very easy to do, you can find recipe's online and then you yourself know what is going into them.
You will possibly save yourself some money depending on what you put into your own treats but the best part is you are doing something special for your 4 legged buddy by making them yourself. Once you find a recipe your pet likes then share it with family and friends alike so they can do the same thing for their pets.
We all love our pets dearly and to me there is no better way to show that than to make what we give them ourselves because we then know what we are feeding them.
Most of the treats whether made in china or wherever are full of junk that doesn't do one good thing for your pet except maybe taste good and that's the truth.
I have a rule in my home for all of my pets that some may not like but its simple, if I won't eat it then my pets won't get it. I've never had a sick or poisoned animal yet.
My wolf Thunder died on February 15 of this year from eating that garbage. He had 100% of the symptoms. But as usualy, these grocery chains only care about their profit, which is why they keep selling this @!$%#. I think they should be sued over and over until every one of us are satisfied. If your pet died from these, file a complaint with the FDA. I did! But I know the FDA doesn't give a crap either.
Thanks for your efforts - - Americans should boycott ALL food products from China - and any other items they send our way!!! Strictly 3rd world research and development and just dangerous!!!!
I have a pet store and we carry "True Chews" (100% made in the US) and "Jake and Daisey's" (100% made in Canada) jerky treats. There are a lot of safe options if you do some research. A lot of people complain about the price and leave my store in a huff and go to Wallmart to buy "Celebrity chicken jerky" made in China.
Consumers make the choice and the government follows.
US manufacturers should show "100% made in USA" large enough that one doesn't need a magnifying glass to find it. It would be great for their business. If I cannot easily find where the food product comes from, or if I see made in China, I simply pass it by and get one where "Made in USA", or the equivalent, is apparent.
I've come up w/this hypothesis on these treats. They're not finding anything because they are testing INGREDIENTS. It's NOT an ingredient. It's RADIATION. These products, because they are imported are IRRADIATED in order to be allowed into the country.
I would not feed ANY treats that come from CHINA... and almost ALL pet treats are coming from China.. not just jerky treats and not just from these few brands. Look around... about 80-90% of ALL dog/cat treats are coming from China !!
Look for the RADURA symbol on the back of any product ( it's round and green or green and black or just black ) . DO NOT purchase ANYTHING that has the RADURA symbol on it or that mentions it's been IRRADIATED.
For a small investment you can buy a dehydrator some free range chicken breasts and make your own chicken treats and save money at the same time. If you love your animals put a little effort into them. I always tease my wife that our dog and 6 cats eat better than we do.
I doubt stores will pull products made in China willingly, there are so many treats that come from there the stores probably still get enough people buying them. When I get my pets their treats I always look for the good ol' Made in America print. If enough people stop buying products made in China, perhaps stores will start to take action. I've been making dog biscuits as well, it's easy to do and when you know the ingredients that are being put in it also gives a bit more piece of mind.
Even if it is made in the USA---how do you know where the ingredients come from????? What if the ingredients come from China???
Wiseone: The USA does not import bull penises from China or "other bi-products" that go into dog treats. We have plenty of that, right here.
Will the Chinese manufacturers of dog foods never learn --- or care?
I have signed your petition and thank you for taking action! So sorry you had to go though this and for your loss.
I am so sorry for your loss. It is a sad thing to think in the USA we ship pet food to our country that is dangerous to our four legged family members not knowing it is fatal if eaten. We do not need to buy food from China!! I carefully check labels on pet food and treats and only purchase from the USA. I see these treats on the store shelves all the time. I think the stores who sell these items are as guilty as the companies that make the products!
I am so sorry for the loss of beloved pets over these dangerous treats. When more folks start turning up their noses at all jerky treats in the stores named in the article - AND PetCo and PetSmart - they'll stop selling them. Just put them out of the jerky treat business, folks! Look closely at the wrappers/containers on food for your animals - if it says "Made in China" anywhere on them, drop it like a hot potato. Choose treats and food that are made right here in the United States - like Blue Buffalo and others. Spread the word...boycott all animal foods made in China!!!
It's hard to find jerky and other dog treats made in the USA, at any price, but they do have them at Trader Joe's and the price isn't bad. It's nowhere near where we live, but we stock up when we're in town.
The reason there are not more reports is because most pet owners do not file. I returned the Waggin' Train Chicken Jerky Treats I bought at Sam's after my dog became ill eating them. Within an hour of consuming the treats, she would be throwing up. At least she didn't die, but I quickly ceased giving the treats and returned the open package to the store. However, I did not file a complaint; and this is the reason I say there are many others out there who just did not speak (file) when they came across this problem. I was lucky because I figured out the problem early enough it didn't do permanent damage to Lily.
Sam's took the product back without question, but the counterperson indicated that she had not heard about any problems with the products. This is also part of the problem.
Although I have much compassion for those who have lost a beloved pet...just as a parent makes sure what goes into their child's body is safe, a pet owner should not be so easily swayed by advertising...(who really wants those treats, you or your pet?) Ultimately, you, as your pet's guardian, are responsible for what goes in it's mouth
Be careful because many companies are no longer listing manufactured in on their labels. Instead they say distributed by. I tried to find out find out where a number of products were manufactured and wasn't able to find any information on either the web or the company web sites. My rule of thumb is now, if I can't find manufacturing location information I just assume it's been made in China and pass it by.
Good point, Lady Cat! And it's important that ALL of the INGREDIENTS are from the USA!
I am so sorry for the loss of your dog and so many others. I have signed your petition because I continue seeing these stories over and over, yet the stores continue selling questionable treats! If the government won't take action, the stores should yank these products for themselves until someone figures out what's causing the deaths of beloved pets.
I lost my 3 year old mini dachshund, Sadie, in November of 2011 to the chicken jerky treats made in China, and I have also joined a group on Facebook, Animal Parents Against Jerky Treats Made in China. I, too, have pictures taped to my vehicle's windows, one of Sadie, the other warning of the dangers, and I try to stop people from buying the death treats, as well as handing out up-to-date printed material to anyone in the pet isle at the stores. I had a 9 year old dog to die in 2007, another time the chicken jerky treats were to blame, but I did not know it at the time. I will never buy a pet product made in China again.
Very sorry, I can't imagine how crazy I'd get if my dogs died from that stuff.
One of my English Mastiffs almost dies from this too when she was just two years old. Thankfully because she was a big dog the vet was able to save her, but we don't know the long term effects. Our other Mastiff didn't get ill. We called the company with no response. We posted warnings on FAce Book, etc. What I learned....don't by anything for your pets produced in China. We only by treats and food made in the US and Canada.
People you can make your own treats to give to pets with a Jerky Maker. We HAVE to STOP buying food and other items from China. They DON'T care what they put out.
We here in the States, HAVE to get back into the business of producing our own things again.
That sounds like a good idea, but unfortunately a device like that in my house would occupy wasted space next to the coffee grinder and bread-making machine within six months of its purchase.
As former Waggin Tails purchasers, we now check the label very closely, or simply buy an alternative form of doggie reward (she loves Jack Link's jerky strips and almost looks offended when I start munching on one at the same time she gets one!).
Try using your own conventional oven set at the lowest temp for making beef or chicken jerky for the pet. It takes about 14 hours to make the jerkys and your dog will thank you for it and because they deserved it.
wolfpack2000: Thanks!
So many things can be used as treats for well behaving pets.... ice cubes, fruits, veggies, even dog food! That is what I give to my dogs for snacks, and they don't know the difference and are happy as can be with their "treats". Why people insist on buying overly processed, chemical and preservative ridden "dog treats" does not make sense to me at all. There are far healthier alternatives.
Dogs LOVE frozen green beans--not defrosted, but frozen! My vet recommended the frozen green beans. Also, carrots cut into 1/8 inch rounds, or 1/4 inch rounds--raw.
Amen, Solvey! We should not be so easily swayed by marketing tactics, which make over processed junk look desirable. It's the equivalent of rewarding yourself with a Twinkie - and if you want to do that to your own body, that's fine, but don't do the same to your dog's body! Fruits and vegetables are great treats as long as you stay away from those that can be toxic to dogs.
PS: my dog LOVES ice cubes too!
“This is a very complex public health investigation,” the FDA’s Steven Solomon, a veterinarian and deputy associate commissioner of compliance policy, told NBC News this week.
...he said, as he pocketed wads of hush money from the suppliers and vendors.
Over 2,000 animal deaths blamed on these products since 2007, and they can't find a connection? Thank you, FDA, for nothing.
I feel very much sorrow for all the pets lost to this. It's criminal.
Not sure if many have noticed, but human food supply is becoming more dangerous as well.
Much Love n blessings for our four legged friends, and to their owners, PLEASE take care what you give them, and youselves.
Much Love,
Da Pup
I am constantly surprised by finding this product still on store shelves. Pets are going to continue to die if something is not done. Why don't they care? The deaths these dogs are suffering is horrible. What if was their pet!!!!
The Chinese and the store owners don't care about your dogs or cats. All they care about is the mighty dollars. That's why the Chinese will keep supplying the poison and the store owners will distribute it as long as the consumer continue to demand for it.
Love your pets and make your own treats for them because Your loyal friends deserve nothing but the best.
I stopped buying the jerky treats for my dogs when this first came out, even though they really liked them. So because the sampling of poisoned dogs are so small, they don't think it's a problem?? They want us pet owners to just play Russian roulette with our pets lives. All it takes is one bad package and your pet is dead. I'm not willing to take that risk.
I worked in China and SE Asia for a few years. I promise you the only thing those manufacturers try to do is find a way to beat the US system and make money at the expense of our pets. They couldn't care less about safety or US rules or culture. If you buy dog treats made in China, you are a complete idiot.
Bravo to pet owners for continuing to pressure the FDA and sellers about these treats.
I contacted Nestle directly after I gave one to my dog (before becoming aware of the ongoing issues), and he spewed yellow foam + the treat all over the living room floor.
Nestle, of course, denied anything was wrong with the treat itself.
I pitched the entire bag ('eating' the $15 cost), and now leave this garbage sitting right on the store shelves.
I wonder if this same issue is what made Hartz stop putting sweet potato into its 'Oinkee' rolled rawhide treats. Their taking the sweet potato out of the treats made my dog turn his nose up at them -- and made me stop buying them -- but maybe it also mean my pet is not being slowly poisoned to death...
SAD BUT TRUE......... Pets don't matter
It's going to take the death of a human before the food coming from China problem will end and I even wonder about it then.
NO MORE CHINA PRODUCTS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I'm one of those people, I started telling people at Costco that those treats could be dangerous. First I told a manager, a couple months went by, and when nothing changed I started telling customers over the summer. Costco, Target, & Walmart evidently DO NOT CARE!
While there seems to be no certain connection between the treats and the pet deaths, I for one do not want to feed or to eat foods from other countries.
I do not buy anything with made in China on it. Even a lot of our canned goods are made in China. Read your labels.
I am so sorry for the loss of these people's pets. Our dog is close to 6 months old and we do not give her those kinds of treats. My husband is a hunter so when he is done harvesting the meat he keeps the bones that have scraps of meat on them and throws them in the freezer. We give our pup these and as she is done with one we give her another. They are completely natural and she loves them! They also have the added benefit of having something for her to chew on. I also know that if you go to the butcher they will usually have bones left over with meat that you can get for your dogs. To help train her we have used her own dog food or I cut up some carrots for treats. There is a lot you can do to give your dog healthier treats that they love just as much and you do not have to worry about what is in them!
Great idea! They love green beans and asparagus too!
I make sure all of my pet's treats are made in the USA from USA sourced ingredients ( preferably organic or at least non-gmo ). Also I feed them more fresh treats that are healthier , cheaper and they love just as well : chicken livers, chicken gizzards ( RAW or roasted ), raw chicken feet, necks , backs, raw turkey necks, raw lamb breast (ribs), raw neck bones, raw pig tails or feet. These are great cheap , healthy treats loaded w/amino acids, enzymes, protein, glucosamine, etc. and they can't get enough ofthem. Buy a food dehydrator and make your own jerky treats ... it's easy. My dogs even love dehydrated banana chips as a treat. They also love apple slices, yogurt w/pnutbutter & honey and chunks of cheddar cheese.
I don't eat anything coming from China. They can't be trusted and I can believe that the pet treats are tainted. I read labels carefully and sometimes the origin is hard to find. Actually we don't want to buy anything made in China.
Seriously, you would think that IF some U.S. F.D.A officials would have lost their beloved dogs to the potential hazzards of these treats, they would act more compationately! You can bet that President Obama's dog Bo doesn't have to worry about this...
I don't buy treats for my dogs and cat. I use their pet food as treats. Ice cubes work well in the hot summer months too.
Too many problems with food made in China, so I avoid them all.
Making your own chicken jerky treats is easy! If you want to know how contact me at jeg0657@hotmail.com, I will be happy to give you directions. It takes about 6 mins of prep time and 2 1/2 hours of baking time.