REMOVE THIS TOY FROM YOUR PETS IMMEDIATELY!
 Four Paws' Pimple Ball with Bell has been linked over at least a 3-year period to causing the death of one dog and the maiming of another ... the complete surgical removal of another dog's tongue. Pictured at left is one ball that needed to be cut by a vet in order to dislodge the dog's stuck tongue.
The Pimple Ball with Bell has been sold as a toy for cats and dogs. One source indicates that over 500,000 have been shipped. The product comes in a variety of colors and sizes. One of them may be in your home. Find it and take it away from your animal(s) IMMEDIATELY! Also, please alert all your friends with animals. 
Pictured at right is the toy in its current packaging and as it is still presented on the Four Paws web-site.
A very responsibly written and presented story of one dog, Chai, is at the following link. Chai's person graphically relates that Chai had to have his tongue completely removed surgically as a result of his tongue getting stuck in the Four Paws Pimple Ball with Bell. She further states her responsible intent that Four Paws recall all the toys and re-engineer them to remove the defect. A more recent post on the same web-site contains a story shared by another of her dog who died in 2005 after playing with this toy and her experience when in 2005 she contacted Four Paws about this.
If you feel your animal has been harmed by this toy, you may wish to visit the Chai blog spot link above to get in contact with other persons who feel their animals have been hurt or died as a result of playing with it.
If you find the toy, first take it away from your animal(s). Then, you have choices. One choice is to throw the toy away. If you choose this, please first poke a hole in either one or both opposing ends of the toy to make sure that it is impossible to have the toy create a vaccuum and hurt any other animal who might somehow gain access to it.
A second choice is to contact the manufacturer for a refund. As of this writing, Four Paws after apparently great pressure have admitted to the defect. The company's web-site now has a link to a page containing the following:
"We have stopped shipping the toys to our distributors and asked them to have retailers remove the toys from their shelves immediately and return them at Four Paws expense.
In addition, we have halted shipments of the toys from the manufacturer."
The web-site further says:
"Consumers who have purchased one of the toys identified by the UPC listed below, should immediately take the toy away from their pet. You may return the Pimple Ball with Bell for replacement to the address listed below. Should you have any questions, please feel free to call us at 1-800-835-0909.
Item Number Item Description UPC
20220 Four Paws® Rough n Rugged® Pimple Ball with Bell -- Small 045663 20220 0
20225 Four Paws® Rough n Rugged® Pimple Ball with Bell -- Medium 045663 20225 5
20227 Four Paws® Rough n Rugged® Pimple Ball with Bell -- Large 045663 20227 9
Consumer Returns: Four Paws Products Pimple Ball with Bell Return 50 Wireless Blvd. Hauppauge, NY 11788" It comes to me to note, that as of this emailing, Four Paws still has the product listed as available on their web-site.
Again, please pass this information along to as many animal lovers as possible.
To Our Animals Health,
Dr. Liz |
