Woman left devastated after bone treat kills dog

Maggie, the 11-year-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier had to be put to sleep after fragments of the bone caused internal injuries and now owner, Niciola Chadwick, fears for other dogs’ safety.

The 34-year-old from Much Hoole, Preston, says she now wants Webbox Pet Food, which makes the a ham bone natural treat, to withdraw it from all retailers.

She said: “I shared what happened on Facebook and it has thousands of shares and likes so now I want something to be done.”

Ribble Vets, on New Lane, treated Maggie and Nicky Birch, practice manager, confirmed the centre had found bone material in Maggie’s intestines after she had come in vomiting but despite surgery had to put her to sleep.

“It was a horrible conversation with the vets,” Nicola said. “It was so hard to say goodbye because I wasn’t expecting it.”

A spokesperson for Webbox Pet Food, said: “We were saddened to hear about the death of Ms Chadwick’s dog and offer our sincere condolences to the family. We began an immediate internal investigation, and have taken seriously the concerns that have been raised. Whilst we deem this incident to be very unfortunate, we want to make sure all customers are well informed before purchasing any of our products and we are very clear on our packaging the dangers of a natural product. The Webbox Ham Bone product does come with several warnings, as this is a natural product and may splinter. We are satisfied we take every precaution possible to minimise the risks and also advise consumers of such associated risks, which is reflected in our product labelling.”