Petco drops China-made treats

One of the nation’s largest retailers of pet products, Petco announced last May it would begin phasing out all China-made pet treats from its 1300 stores, including online retail and the new Unleashed by Petco stores. Six months later, the transition is complete, making Petco the first national pet specialty retailer to uphold this policy.

“As a trusted partner for pet parents, we believe this is the right thing to do,” said Petco CEO Jim Myers, “and we’re proud to take this step in the best interest of pets.”

Food safety continues to be a growing concern for pet parents. A recent survey by Packaged Facts reports that 55% of dog guardians, and nearly the same percentage of cat guardians, agree that fear of pet food contamination is key when considering food purchases. More than half of those surveyed said they prefer to purchase food made in the US.