Couple alarmed after finding '80mm metal wire' in dog food

Chris and Julie Dwyer, from Leicestershire, were shocked to find a “sharp piece of stiff metal wire 80mm in length” embedded in the food they purchased for Airedale Terriers Jake and Finn

The couple were subscribed to Tails, a Sheen-based company which offers personalised meals for dogs.

Airedale Terriers Jake and Finn

But Mr Dwyer was "alarmed" on Jan 27 when he found a wire in a packet of wet food.

Mr Dwyer said:

“I was dishing up dog food which is a fairly unglamorous activity, you do it automatically, but I felt a dragging sensation as I was cutting the meat.

"I couldn’t believe there was a piece of foreign matter in it. If you dished that up to your dogs, knowing what dogs are like, it would be gone within seconds."

“If hadn’t spotted it and it had been ingested, it could’ve got stuck in their throat or caused some potentially lethal issues.”

The couple, who pay around £850 for the premium dog food a year, have discontinued their subscription.

Mr Dwyer added:

“I checked on the packaging for holes and damages but there was nothing. It must have been introduced in the productions somewhere."

“I’m not asking for any compensation, just for Tails to either do a product recall or send an email to customers, who purchased meals around that time to be more diligent when serving up food.”

A spokesperson for Tails said they are investigating the situation:

“We have been in touch with Mr Dwyer since his recent complaint about food he received last year. We’re very sorry he’s had this experience and we’re glad that there was no harm to his dog.

“We have undertaken thorough investigations at our factory and with our supplier and there is no evidence of any wider issue to respond to. We have also notified the food safety team at the local authority responsible for our factory site and we are happy to work with them, should they see a need.”