(March 13) – A popular type of dog leash could pose a health hazard to humans, according to ABC News.
A girl suffered permanent damage to her left eye in April when a leash made by Worldwise Inc. snapped, sending the metal clasp into her eye, the network reported.
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"It hurt," said Dereka Williams, now 13. "I didn't know what happened at first."
Williams' family is suing Worldwise, as well as Dollar General, the store where they bought the SlyDog model leash. Neither company would comment specifically on the case.
Another woman lost part of her finger when her leash tangled and her dog bolted in 2005.
"I look up and there's a fingertip right in front of me," said Heather Todd, who used a leash made by Flexi USA Inc. "I didn't comprehend, 'Oh, Heather, there's your fingertip laying there in the sand.'"
In each case, the dog owner was using a retractable leash, which lets dogs roam farther than standard leashes. The owner can make the leash shorter by pressing a button.
Five months after Dereka's accident, Worldwise recalled the Slydog model. The recall notice cited incidents in which owners suffered cuts, broken teeth and a broken collarbone, ABC News reported.
"We at Worldwise care very much about all of our customers and their pets and are committed to providing them with products that are safe, reliable and functional. On Sept. 3, 2008, we initiated a voluntary recall on our Sly Dog retractable leash," the company said in a statement.
One Chicago dog trainer, Jaime Damato, has banned the retractable leashes from her classes for fear of injury. Also, Damago says, the farther away an owner is from the dog, the less control he or she has over the pet.
But Ulrich Wuebker, president of Flexi, says dogs love his product.
"Like other products, Flexi brand retractable leashes can be misused," he told ABC News in an e-mail. "The warnings and instructions are included in and on our packaging as well as on the leash itself. This is to educate the dog owner so that they will use the leash in a safe manner."
Read the full story on ABCNEWS.com.
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