- Reaction score
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- Points
- 410
Postmen bite back over dog treat
The cat-shaped treats will continue to be sold
The makers of a postman-shaped dog biscuit have been given something to chew over after their product was taken off some stores' shelves in Canada.
The Pet Valu chain store agreed to remove "Bark Bars" from their 292 outlets after the Canadian postal service failed to see the funny side.
In a letter, the service pointed out the dangers dogs pose to mail carriers.
In the first six months of 2004 alone, there were 160 dog attacks on post deliverers, said Canada Post.
The dog treats come in such flavours as garlic, fish and chips, and Parmesan cheese.
They are shaped as the supposed worst enemies of man's best friend - postmen and cats.
Pet Valu president Ed Casey said he had decided to withdraw the biscuits after receiving a "cordially persuasive" letter from Canada Post.
He said his company already had a policy not to stock goods that could offend postal workers but "the biscuits sort of fell below the radar", reported the Winnipeg Sun.
I thought it was in extremely poor taste
John Caines
Canada Post spokesman
A Canada Post spokesman said the issue was "very serious".
"I will tell you, personally, I think it was in very poor taste, considering the hazards that our carriers have out there every day... we have some very, very serious dog bites and people are hurt quite badly. I thought it was in extremely poor taste," John Caines told the Globe and Mail.
He said a female postal worker in Chatham, Ontario had both wrists broken and part of her ear torn off in a recent dog attack.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the manufacturer of Bark Bars, American Health Kennels, told BBC News Online:
"We are saddened by this situation because it was never our intention to offend anyone.
"The shape of our biscuits is simply a 'tongue-in-cheek' marketing effort to differentiate our product from other dog biscuits," said Tammy Ross.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3921103.stm
The cat-shaped treats will continue to be sold
The makers of a postman-shaped dog biscuit have been given something to chew over after their product was taken off some stores' shelves in Canada.
The Pet Valu chain store agreed to remove "Bark Bars" from their 292 outlets after the Canadian postal service failed to see the funny side.
In a letter, the service pointed out the dangers dogs pose to mail carriers.
In the first six months of 2004 alone, there were 160 dog attacks on post deliverers, said Canada Post.
The dog treats come in such flavours as garlic, fish and chips, and Parmesan cheese.
They are shaped as the supposed worst enemies of man's best friend - postmen and cats.
Pet Valu president Ed Casey said he had decided to withdraw the biscuits after receiving a "cordially persuasive" letter from Canada Post.
He said his company already had a policy not to stock goods that could offend postal workers but "the biscuits sort of fell below the radar", reported the Winnipeg Sun.
I thought it was in extremely poor taste
John Caines
Canada Post spokesman
A Canada Post spokesman said the issue was "very serious".
"I will tell you, personally, I think it was in very poor taste, considering the hazards that our carriers have out there every day... we have some very, very serious dog bites and people are hurt quite badly. I thought it was in extremely poor taste," John Caines told the Globe and Mail.
He said a female postal worker in Chatham, Ontario had both wrists broken and part of her ear torn off in a recent dog attack.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman for the manufacturer of Bark Bars, American Health Kennels, told BBC News Online:
"We are saddened by this situation because it was never our intention to offend anyone.
"The shape of our biscuits is simply a 'tongue-in-cheek' marketing effort to differentiate our product from other dog biscuits," said Tammy Ross.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/3921103.stm
