Senator calls for action on dangerous dog bones, asks pet parents to contact her directly

Dog owners across the country say Dynamic’s ‘Real Ham Bones’ is making their dogs sick or even killing them. Now, the company that makes them is facing a class action lawsuit from pet parents who said the bone killed their dogs or made them sick.

Meanwhile, the Better Business Bureau is asking lawmakers to stop the company from selling the bones. The BBB sent the Real Ham Bone to 100 senators in congress along with a flyer detailing the complaints against it and why it wasn’t safe.

A VERY SPECIAL SENATOR

One special senator has made it her mission to get the bones off the market. Senator Claire McCaskill is sending a letter to the FDA asking what the agency has done to look in the safety of the Real Ham Bone.

“Their mandate is to look at whether a pet product is safe and we’ll hold their feet to the fire,” said McCaskill. “I don’t need to be convinced a product killing families pets’ needs to be looked into,” she said.

In addition, McCaskill is reaching out to pet parents, saying in a letter to the editor of the Joplin Missouri Independent, that she want Missourians to contact her directly if they, or anyone they know, have issues with the Real Ham Bone:

To the editor:

Dogs are more than just pets–they’re family members. That’s why when I first learned about a product reportedly harming our four-legged friends, i didn’t need to be convinced this issue needed to be looked into.

The “Real Ham Bone” is a product – sold nationwide – dog owners across the county say is making their dogs sick.

Despite the Better Business Bureau warning against the bones, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) telling pet owners not to buy them, the product remains on store shelves.

Now, it’s time to hold the FDA’s feet to the fire to get answers about what they’re doing to ensure pet safety. I’ve reached out to them demanding answers about what they’ve done since learning of the complaints to determine if the product should continue to be sold.

If you or someone you know has had issues with the “Real Ham Bone,” go here for my contact information.

I know what dogs mean to their owners, and I want to be sure I’m doing what I can to protect all four-legged family members.

Senator Claire McCaskill

FRICK DOESN’T GIVE A F*CK

The Better Business Bureau sent every complaint to the maker of the bone David Frick, owner of Frick’s Quality Meats, and his response has been that the bone is safe, stating flatly, “We don’t think we have a problem.” He likened the sale of the bones to the sales of toys “like bicycles, skateboards and Legos.” The bones, like the toys, are safe when used properly, he said.

They even asked Frick to stop making them, instead he told the BBB he is not willing to change anything.

He said the increased number of complaints is likely the result of social media campaigns against the product and an increasing number of bones sold. One Facebook campaign, Fight for Fred, started a petition which has garnered over 14,400 signatures to have the product be removed from the market.

Meanwhile, the company said its bones are the safest on the market and that each package is labeled with instructions on how best to use the product: “Our customer satisfaction rate is 99.9988 percent.”

THE BBB AIN’T BUYING IT

BBB is urging consumers to use extreme caution when purchasing Dynamic Pet Products Real Ham Bone and have issued an alert on their website. Since January 2015, BBB has received numerous complaints from consumers across the nation who reported that their dogs suddenly became ill or died after eating these bones.

“Some of these dogs have suffered horribly, some have died and they are family members,” said Tracy Hardgrove, the Vice President of the BBB in St. Louis, and worries that since only 5% of people ever report their complaints, she believes there could be more dead dogs.

The BBB also gave the complaints to the Food and Drug Administration and asked Walmart to pull the bones from the shelves.

“We want congress to take action to make this product not distributable,” said Hardgrove.

Hopefully, with Senator Claire McCaskill looking into the matter, something will be done at last about the bad bones.

WHAT YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW

• Contact Senator Claire McCaskill’s office
• Sign the Fight for Fred petition
• Submit an adverse event report to the FDA
• Call the Consumer Complaint Coordinator in your state
• Find out more on how to file a complaint with the FDA
• Finally, please do NOT feed these bones to your dog! Ever.