With the rapid expansion of the pet toy market and the increasing variety of products, quality and safety issues have gradually surfaced, becoming a focal point for consumers. Recent market research and testing by media outlets revealed significant safety hazards in some low-cost pet toys: certain plush toys contain inferior fibres or minute foreign objects in their stuffing, posing risks of gastrointestinal obstruction if ingested by pets during chewing; rubber toys often fail to meet material standards, containing excessive formaldehyde, heavy metals and other harmful substances that can damage pets' livers and skin with prolonged exposure; Additionally, some toys feature poorly designed structures with sharp edges or detachable small parts, posing risks of oral lacerations or suffocation. These issues directly threaten pets' physical well-being.
In response to this chaotic situation, relevant industry associations have issued consumer warnings, advising pet owners to purchase products through authorised channels and verify quality inspection reports. Market regulatory authorities have also intensified random inspections of online and offline sales platforms, taking measures such as product removal and recalls against non-compliant items in accordance with the law, while cracking down on illegal production and business practices. Concurrently, industry experts and corporate representatives have collectively urged the swift refinement of the pet toy industry's standards framework. This should encompass not only mandatory specifications for material safety, chemical substance limits, and physical properties (such as bite resistance and component durability), but also detailed requirements for production processes and packaging labelling. Such measures would safeguard product quality at its source. Only by establishing a multi-layered safeguard system combining ‘regulation + standards + corporate self-discipline’ can we effectively protect pet health, alleviate consumer concerns, and foster confident purchasing. This approach will ultimately propel the pet toy industry beyond the predicament of‘low-quality, low-price competition,’ enabling healthy and sustainable development.
