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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Candace Thaxton, of Westlake, is convinced tainted chicken jerky dog treats made in China caused her beloved pug Chancy to fall ill and die.

She said she nearly lost her puppy Penny after she ate the treats, as well.

“Angry. I’m feeling angry, and I want something done,” Thaxton said.

Thaxton says she is angry because the Food and Drug Administration will not pull the treats off the shelves, even after receiving reports for more than five years that the China-made treats are allegedly killing people’s pets.

“I think they need to recall the products and get them off the shelves until they can figure it out,” Thaxton said.

Since 2007, the FDA has issued caution alerts to dog owners four times about the chicken jerky treats made in China, warning pet owners to watch their dogs closely for signs of illness after eating the treats, according to their website.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) has repeatedly urged the FDA to take more action.

“It just seems the FDA can be a little more aggressive with the companies that are producing this stuff,” Sen. Brown said

In a letter to Sen. Brown, the FDA wrote, in part:

“No specific products have been recalled or implicated because the laboratories running tests have not detected a contaminant that could have caused the reported illnesses.”

The chicken jerky treats in question are being sold at retailers across America.

Sen. Brown is urging people not to buy them, and read the packages of treats closely to find out if they are made in China, before they are purchased.

On the back of the packages, there are usually two locations listed.

One is where the product was distributed from, usually a U.S. city.

“But then hiding under the bar code, it says, ‘Made in China,’ ” Thaxton said.

Fox 8 reached out to several major retailers as to why the dog treats in question remain on the shelves.

Wal-Mart was the only one who responded.

An email sent to Fox 8 News read, in part:

“We are closely monitoring the FDA’s ongoing investigation. If evidence is found linking a contaminant to any of the products we carry, we will take appropriate action. Currently all of the pet foods and treats available at Walmart are in compliance with all government regulations.”

In the meantime, Brown is urging pet owners to buy products that are clearly made in America.