PetSmart to stop selling pet treats made in China

NEW YORK - PetSmart (PETM) is the latest major pet food retailer to say it will stop selling dog and cat treats made in China because of continuing fears of their safety.

A spokeswoman at PetSmart says it plans to have the treats off all its store shelves by March 2015.

Investigators at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration haven't been able to prove that treats made in China are making pets sick. But since 2007, it has received more than 4,800 complaints of pet illnesses and more than 1,000 reports of dog deaths after eating Chinese-made chicken, duck or sweet potato jerky treats.

Rival Petco announced on Tuesday that it would remove all its China-made treats at its 1,300 stores by the end of this year.

Phoenix-based PetSmart Inc. also runs about 1,300 stores.