A woman in the United States is suing Zara, claiming that she found a dead rat sewn into the lining of an off-the-rack dress from the Spanish clothing retailer.

Ms Cailey Fiesel, 24, said in legal documents that she bought two dresses from a Zara store in Connecticut in July, the New York Daily News reported.

She wore one of them to work the following month, where she noticed a "disturbingly pungent" smell.

According to Ms Fiesel's court documents, she also became aware that there was something rubbing against her leg.

She thought it was a loose thread, but upon inspection, allegedly found that it was the foot of a dead rat sticking out of a seam in the dress.

Ms Fiesel is seeking damages for emotional distress as well as a rash that she said she developed on her leg where she had been in physical contact with the rat carcass.

Zara said in a statement to the New York Daily News that the brand was aware of Ms Fiesel's lawsuit and was committed to meeting "stringent quality controls and health and safety standards" in its product manufacturing process.