PetSmart & Petco Will Just Say No To Made-In-China Cat And Dog Treats

In the past two days, Petco and PetSmart, two of the country’s biggest names in pet supplies, have said they will stop selling pet treats made in China over concerns about the safety of those products.

There have been numerous instances of poorly manufactured or tainted pet products that have led to illnesses and deaths in pets in the U.S.

For instance hundreds of dog fatalities and thousands of illnesses were tied to chicken jerky treats imported from China, though the actual cause of these illnesses is still undetermined.

Petco was first out of the gate on Tuesday, saying it would have all China-made treats off shelves by the end of the year.

“We know some pet parents are wary of dog and cat treats made in China, especially Chicken Jerky products, and we’ve heard their concerns,” said Jim Myers, Petco CEO in a statement. “As a leader in the industry and the trusted partner for our pet parents, we’re eager to make this transition and to expand our assortment of safe and healthy treats, the majority of which are made right here in the U.S. Very simply, we feel this decision is in the best interest of the pets we all love and, ultimately, for our business.”

Then today, PetSmart followed suit, telling the AP that it plans to get rid of all treats that were made in China by March 2015.

“This is something we’ve been working toward for some time, and feel it’s the right thing to do for pets and our customers,” said a PetSmart rep.