Patent ID: 8875662

Claim:
A device for retrieval by an animal with a mouth, comprising: a body adapted to be picked up, at least partially received into, and securely held in the animal's mouth during retrieval, wherein the body includes two end sections and an intermediate section positioned therebetween, with the end and intermediate sections having exterior surfaces, and with the exterior surfaces of the end sections having a greater hardness than the exterior surface of the intermediate section, having protrusions, or both, wherein the end sections are less comfortable to bite on and thereby encourage picking up and holding the body at the intermediate section; and one or more respiratory passageways formed in the body in an arrangement such that, regardless of how the animal picks up the body and holds the body in its mouth, one or more of the respiratory passageways individually or cooperatively extend from the mouth to out of the mouth in a breathable position so that air can flow through the breathable respiratory passageways into and out of the mouth.