HOUSTON, TX – An investigation by KIAH-TV’s “The NewsFixer” has led to a removal of a dog toy that threatened the health of a Houston canine. The toy “Snuggling Furry Friend,” sold as a private brand under the Petco label, was found to contain traces of Trimethyl Benzene, Arsenic, Cadmium and Lead, along with Naphthalene, the main ingredient in moth balls.
The toxins were detected in the Petco toy by an independent laboratory after a NewsFix viewer, Mark Smith of Houston, told the station his Chow Mix “Charlet” became sick after first chewing on the toy in December 2011. After inquiries by “The NewsFixer,” Petco agreed to pay for Smith’s veterinary expenses. Petco said it would also test all similar toys sold in its retail outlets for toxic substances.
Petco representative Lisa Epstein said, “We did, in fact, direct our stores yesterday (2/23) to remove the Lambswool Tug with Squeaker Dog Toy from our shelves, pending the results of random sample tests that will be conducted and analyzed at an accredited laboratory. The decision to take this action was out of an abundance of caution – and it is not a product recall.”
“We’re pleased we could help one of our loyal viewers,” said NewsFix News Director Gary Jaffe, “And we’re proud that ‘The NewsFixer’ has continued to be an effective and relevant investigative force in the community.”
Where was this dog toy made?
I’ll bet CHINA.
I’ll bet CHINA.
where was the toxic stuff…in the fabric??
It was on the surface of the toy . All the petoc brans toys are made in China
mark (Charlet’s daddy)
It cannot be emphasized enough that the toxic ingredients found in this toy are the worst of the worst.
Trimethyl Benzene, Cadmium and Lead, along with Naphthalene – the all cause cancer. And arsenic is a poison. People should not even handling this mess let alone their dog.
If this isn’t reason enough to STOP SHOPPING AT PETCO consider the fact that PETCO supports PETA and HSUS….radical animal groups who push anti-pet legislation.
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG what a bunch of shit!
So happy it was found quickly
Quickly??? The dog in Houston got sick back in Dec ’11!@862a9a264724a4cc7e8e7d2a8ebcfa5b:disqus That’s 3 mos. ago!!
I can not understand why they are not more careful…my guess is it was made in China and Petco was dumb enough to put their name on it…I pray it was caught in time that no dog lost their life under such neglect of the makers of the toy and the manufacturer that sold the toy
My experience with clothing and other cloth items shipped for overseas is the are regularly boxed up and then either the box they are shipped in or the container they are shipped inside are filled with poison gas to prevent vermin from eating on and mold from growing on. If these items were treated the same way and they were not properly aired out before they were given to a pet. I’m sure all of us have gone to a store and looked at some clothing that was being put our and smelt an odd smell. This is the same thing. I’m sure PetCo is just getting a bad rap for this. I smell any toy or clothing I buy and let it hang and air out if it smells bad. Leave it in the SUN and it is better faster.
This is why we should NOT buy from China they have such low standards when they export items to other countries. I have seen how sick pets can get from toys made in China!!!!
Oh, As far as I know that China products are always duplicate and unsafe, that’s why we should not buy any stuff of China. The Chinese toys are always worse than other.