One of today’s articles in the Vitals section of NBCNews.com, discusses how consumers are proactive when it comes to what their pets eat.Rita Desollar’s black minivan has become a rolling warning about the possible dangers of chicken jerky pet treats from China.
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.”
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.
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 Sweinst et Potato JERKY TREATS are not safe!”
Now you have another outlet, here with us. We will Tweet this and hopefully more people will sign.
US Food Safety is not coming out against Nestle Purina Healthcare. If a grassroots effort can save a pets life, it is worth it.
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© 2012 US Food Safety Corporation. No copyright claim is made for portions of this blog and linked items that are works of the United States Government, state governments or third parties
Rita Desollar (@RitaDesollar)
November 10, 2012
Thank you, US Food Safety, for your help in raising awareness to the critical issue of dangerous pet treats remaining on store shelves. While the manufacturers continue to deny any responsibility for the thousands of dogs reported to have become ill, with some resulting in death – like my Heidi and until the FDA works through whatever red tape it is bound by and issues a formal recall, the ONLY means of spreading the warning to unsuspecting pet owners everywhere about the dangers of feeding their dog jerky treats made in China is word-of-mouth and peer-to-peer sharing.
Your help in this is so very much appreciated. Thank you.
RC Anderson, Ph.D.
September 29, 2012
Food safety should not just be limited to humans, it should also be extended to the pets that we love.
If any product that is to be eaten is found to be unsafe or life threatening, recall it immediately. Posting a nationwide recall is one of the quickest ways to get the word out about the dangers of a product before it’s too late and someone, or someones beloved pet dies from eating it.