Shock Over What Gym Next Door to a Dog Shelter Threw Away: ‘It’s a Shame’

A photo of a dumpster filled with tennis balls is causing a stir online after it was revealed they were tossed out next door to a dog shelter.

The photo in the November 11 Reddit post shows a dumpster filled with the sports equipment mixed in with trash bags.

Reddit user Superspider7 captioned the image: “The gym I use threw out a ton of good tennis balls. There is a dog shelter next door.”

The photo—which shows dozens of fluorescent balls—quickly gathered attention on the popular subreddit Mildlyinfuriating, bringing in more than 27,000 upvotes.

It is unclear if the gym offered the tennis balls to the shelter first before tossing them away or if the shelter retrieved some tennis balls from the dumpster.

But most Reddit users who saw the post agreed the garbage was the best place for the balls, as they can be quite dangerous for dogs.

“…It’s wasteful yes, but they are trash. Bad for dogs and bad for tennis,” said one user.

Another Reddit user commented: “Normal tennis balls will wear down a dog’s teeth. They make special ones for dogs.”

After reading about the dangers of tennis balls, Redditor Superspider7 commented: “I wasn’t aware tennis balls were bad for dogs. Having a dog, I’m happy to have this new knowledge, so thanks to everyone.”

But they also theorized plenty of ways in which tennis balls can be reused.

“I bet the tennis balls could still be of good use in a retirement home; it’s a shame to see the waste,” added Superspider7.

Other users suggested schools might use tennis balls to put on the bottom of desks and chairs.

In a follow-up comment, Superspider7 added: “I also let the shelter know, and the guy said he’s gonna dig out as many as he can!”

Newsweek asked Superspider7 for comment via Reddit.

Tennis Ball Hazards

Unopened tennis balls are kept in a pressurized tube, keeping the bounciness and firmness intact, but after about two weeks tennis balls can go bad, according to My Tennis HQ.

Whether or not these tennis balls were considered expired and unusable, they were still opened. The longer they are out from the pressurized tube, the softer they will become.

Any pet owner will know one of a dog’s favorite activities to get out energy is playing a game of fetch. Balls of any kind, including ones for tennis, usually come to mind when thinking of what object to throw around for your dog. But despite being a popular dog toy, there are hazards associated with them.

Dogs are chewers. They will chomp down on tennis balls, attempting to rip them apart. This can unfortunately lead to choking as the ball could get lodged in the back of a dog’s throat, according to the American Kennel Club. Plus, the green fuzzies can come off and become a choking hazard as well.

The fuzz, while soft to us, can actually feel like sandpaper to a dog’s teeth. The more a dog plays with a tennis ball, the more their teeth will go through wear and tear.

Consider using a rubber ball instead of a tennis ball for a game of fetch. Other alternatives to keep your dog both physically and mentally stimulated without a tennis ball are puzzles, tug-of-war, or treat dispenser games.

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.