The Philippine Animal Welfare Society and EcoWaste Coalition said rubber bands in the bracelets are hard to digest and can make cats and dogs ill if they swallow them accidentally.
“As the rubber band bracelet craze hits the country, we urge fans to remember that these loom bands could spell danger for pets and should be handled with care to prevent pet injuries,” said PAWS executive director Anna Cabrera.
EcoWaste coordinator Anthony Dizon added the risk is greater in counterfeit bracelet-making sets and related items that are cashing in on the latest craze.
Ingestion of rubber bands can cause stomach upset and seriously shatter the intestinal tract and may lead to loss of appetite, nausea and diarrhea, the groups said.
They added the makers of the original Rainbow Loom, winner of the 2014 Toy of the Year Award by the Toy Industry Association, advised pet owners to keep the bands away from pets.
Fake sets
EcoWaste said it bought a fake Rainbow Loom bracelet-making kit for P240 and seven packs of loom bands at P15 to 35 per pack.
It said these items were sold in Divisoria and Quiapo in Manila, and had no market authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
An initial screening with a handheld X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device showed no detectable levels of arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury and other toxic metals on the sample loom bands.
“While we did not find lead and other toxic metals on the loom bands, there is no assurance that these products are totally safe for consumers and the environment as these products have no FDA market authorization,” Dizon said.
Tips
Meanwhile, the groups advised loom band fans to follow the following precautionary measures:
– talk to children about the importance of keeping the rubber bands away from pets, and from infants and toddlers
– do not leave the rubber bands or the finished products lying on the chair, table, bed or the floor where pets can get near them
– secure the rubber bands in containers with cover or lid
– do not allow pets to play with rubber bands or with loom band bracelets
– refrain from adorning pets’ collars or straps with loom bands
— Joel Locsin /LBG, GMA News
