Some pet toys sold in Hong Kong have been found to contain chemicals that can trigger allergies in dogs or cause cancer in humans and animals, although the vast majority of samples comply with children’s toy standards, the city’s consumer watchdog has found.
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The Consumer Council revealed on Wednesday that 97 per cent of pet toys it tested complied with migration limits stipulated in the European safety standard for children’s toys, but one leather toy contained higher levels of chromium III, which can cause skin irritation in animals.
“Among all the toys that we tested, leather toys appeared to be one of the most concerning categories,” said Alaina Shum Jiu-fai, the council’s chief executive.
Shum stressed that the toys were “quite safe to use” overall, but advised pet owners whose animals developed symptoms after contact with certain toys to consider bringing both the pet and the toy to a veterinarian to seek medical advice and discuss treatment options.
The council tested 30 models of toys labelled for dog use from pet supply stores, grocery stores and online shops, with prices ranging from HK$30 to HK$179 (US$3.90 to US$23).
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The models covered four major categories: 11 plush or soft toys, seven knotted models or models with related components, nine models with rubber or latex as the main component, and three models containing leather components.