Lawsuit alleges New York woman found dead rat sewn into dress

NEW YORK, Nov. 16 (UPI) -- A New York woman's lawsuit against clothing store Zara alleges she found the leg of a dead rodent sewn into the hem of the garment.

Court documents filed Friday in Manhattan Supreme Court allege Cailey Fiesel, 24, of Manhattan, purchased two dresses from the Zara store in Greenwich, Conn., July 5 and she wore one of the garments for the first time when she went to work Aug. 16.

"While at work, she started to notice a disturbingly pungent odor and was unable to identify the source," the lawsuit states. "Despite getting up from her desk and walking around, she was unable to escape this odor."

"As the day went on, Ms. Fiesel started to notice what felt like a loose string from her dress rubbing against her leg," and "without giving it much thought she reached down with her hand to try and locate the piece of string that was rubbing against her."

"To her utter shock and disbelief, as she ran her hand over the hem of the dress, she felt an unusual bulge and suddenly realized that it was not a string that was rubbing against her leg, but was instead a leg rubbing against her leg," the filed documents state. "The leg of a dead rodent, that is."

The lawsuit alleges Fiesel quickly changed out of the dress and she soon "found that a dead rodent was sewn into the hem of the dress."

The suit is seeking monetary damages "in a sum that will fairly and adequately compensate her" for "significant personal injuries and emotional distress," including the development of a rash later diagnosed as a rodent-borne disease.

Zara issued a statement to WPIX-TV.

"Zara USA is aware of the allegation and we are investigating the matter further," Zara USA said. "The brand has stringent quality controls and health and safety standards worldwide that are followed and met in manufacturing, including stitching and pressing. We are committed to ensuring that all of our products meet these rigorous requirements."