Dog Owners Sue Over Pet Deaths

USA TODAY – July 17, 2012

U.S. dog owners are organizing a class-action lawsuit against the manufacturer of Chinese-made dog treats, alleging that the tainted treats caused their pets to become ill or die, the complaint says.

Pet owners from eight different states filed a complaint in federal court this week, charging that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has repeatedly refused to make public the results of several inspections of the Chinese factories where the treats, produced by Nestle Purina Pet Care Co., were manufactured.

The suit blames the contaminated “Waggin Train” brand dog treats for nearly 1,000 incidents of sickness or death of pets in the U.S.

The complaint is an expansion of another filed by Dennis Adkins of Orland Park, Illinois, whose dog allegedly died after consuming the dog treats.

If approved for class-action status, the suit would represent almost all U.S. pet owners who purchased any chicken-based dog treats manufactured or distributed by Nestle Purina and imported from China within the last four years.