ORION TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WXYZ) — A Kroger store in Orion Township remains closed after a state inspection found mouse droppings on store shelves, prompting officials to temporarily shut down the location.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, or MDARD, received a complaint on Dec. 8 and conducted an inspection the following day. Inspectors discovered mouse droppings in multiple aisles, including the pet food aisle, bread aisle and other sections of the store.
Watch Jolie Sherman's video report below:
The state agency had given the store until Dec. 30 to address the rodent problem, but the store failed to meet that deadline, resulting in the temporary closure this week.
"MDARD is in touch with the store following an inspection that resulted in a voluntary closure by Kroger," the department said in a statement. "We're unable to share anything more at this time due to it being an ongoing investigation."
Signs posted outside the store read: "Sorry for the inconvenience. Our store is temporarily closed until further notice."
Shoppers expressed surprise and concern about the closure.
"Probably not going to be shopping here for a while. It's kind of gross," Gaines said. "This is the first time this has happened, so I'm kind of surprised. I thought they took better care of this establishment."
One customer reported seeing a mouse in the bread and chip aisle and warned other shoppers not to purchase items from those areas. The customer provided photos that appear to show rodent droppings throughout the store.
David Griffin of Auburn Hills took a more understanding approach to the situation.
"I've worked in retail, I've worked in restaurants. Things happen. They're on it. Hopefully, they get it taken care of. Hopefully, nobody got sick," Griffin said.
Kroger responded to the situation in a statement, saying the company took immediate action once aware of the problem. The statement reads:
"We take the health and safety of our customers very seriously. As soon as we were made aware of the incident, we took immediate action to voluntarily close. Our professional pest control company conducted an immediate inspection to ensure any activity is removed from our store. Additionally, we have implemented strict sanitation protocols, initiated a thorough deep cleaning and will maintain ongoing inspections. With these additional steps taken, we anticipate reopening the store as soon as possible."
A state inspector confirmed the store is working with pest control company Eco Lab and has installed equipment to prevent pests from entering the building.
The store hopes to reopen as soon as possible, though no specific timeline has been announced.
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