Owners sue in pet deaths

CHICAGO, July 17 (UPI) -- Dog owners in eight U.S. states are organizing a class-action suit after Chinese-made dog treats allegedly sickened or killed their pets, their complaint says.

They are suing in federal court as U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials continue to refuse to release results of inspections of the Chinese factories that manufactured the foods blamed for at least 1,000 incidents of illnesses or deaths of U.S. pets, NBC News reported Tuesday.

The lawsuit, filed in Chicago, expands a complaint by Dennis Adkins of Orland Park, Ill., who claimed his dog died after eating "Waggin' Train Yam Good" dog treats, produced by Nestle Purina Pet Care Co., and adds six other pet owners who are suing retailers Wal-Mart, Costco and Target, as well as Nestle Purina.

Court records indicate the suit claims to represent nearly all pet owners in the United States who bought any dog treat made or sold by Nestle Purina containing chicken imported from China in the past four years.

NBC News said import data from the firm Import Genius shows that Waggin' Train products are produced and supplied by a company in Nanjing, China.