ALEXANDRIA, Va., Oct. 28 -- United States Patent no. 12,446,552, issued on Oct. 21, was assigned to Benebone LLC (Westport, Conn.).
"Pet toy" was invented by Peter Toolan (Westport, Conn.) and Evan L. Ryan (Evanston, Ill.).
According to the abstract* released by the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office: "A pet toy has a recess that is configured to hold a spreadable, edible substance in a manner that allows it to be removed by a pet such as a dog. Examples of the spreadable, edible substance are peanut butter, cream cheese, or a spreadable cheese. The pet toy has a hub with a straight inner wall that defines at least the upper portion of a recess. There are no overhangs so that the recess is easy to clean. A ring-shaped arm is connected to a mi...