That simple reward after a walk now comes with a public health warning. On February 24, 2026, the FDA posted a recall for a single lot of “Elite Treats Chicken Chips for Dogs” after the product was flagged for possible salmonella contamination.
What makes this story stand out is that the danger is not limited to pets because contaminated pet food can also expose people and spread bacteria around the home.
The recall applies to 6-ounce black and gold bags marked with lot number 24045 and an expiration date of April 2027. According to the FDA notice, the treats went to Florida Hardware, which distributed them to feed stores in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
No illnesses had been reported when the alert was issued, but that is exactly why checking a pantry now matters more than waiting for symptoms later.
How the contamination was discovered
This was not triggered by a wave of reported illnesses. The agency says a third-party laboratory found salmonella in a related lot of the same product that had not yet been commercially released, and that result led Elite Treats to pull the marketed lot as a precaution.
That suggests the warning came from testing rather than from a cluster of sick dogs or owners, which is usually the better moment to catch a problem.
That matters because salmonella is tougher than many people assume. The FDA notes that freezing and drying do not kill the bacteria, so a shelf-stable pet treat can still become a health threat if contamination slips into production. It is easy to picture how that risk travels in everyday life, from a training pouch to the car seat, then to the kitchen counter back home. Small bag, big reminder.
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Why the risk reaches beyond one pet
Think the danger disappears once the snack is swallowed. Not really. According to the recall notice, people can be exposed by handling the contaminated treats, by touching bowls, utensils, cups, or countertops that came into contact with them, or by interacting with a pet that has already eaten the product.
The harder part is that animals do not always look sick. The FDA says salmonellosis is uncommon in dogs and cats, but they can still carry salmonella in stool and saliva without obvious symptoms and spread it to other pets, people, and the home environment.
For households with young children, older adults, pregnant women, or anyone with a weakened immune system, that quiet kind of exposure is the part that can slip under the radar.
The symptoms owners should watch
For pets, the warning signs include lethargy, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, vomiting, reduced appetite, and abdominal pain. Some dogs may only seem a little off at first, which can be easy to shrug off after a busy day or a change in routine. But if the recalled treats were in the house, that is not a detail to ignore, and a veterinarian should be called if symptoms appear.
For people, salmonella can bring nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps, and fever. In rarer cases it can lead to more serious illness, and FDA says CDC estimates about 1.35 million salmonellosis cases occur in the United States each year, with 26,500 hospitalizations and 420 deaths.
Most infections come from contaminated food in general, but pet food can also become one of the routes that brings the bacteria indoors.
What owners should do right now
Consumers are being told to stop using the recalled treats immediately and not sell or donate them. The FDA also says the product should be discarded in a way that children, pets, and wildlife cannot access, which is an important detail because careless disposal can push a household problem outdoors.
In practical terms, that means sealing the waste securely instead of leaving it where neighborhood animals can rip into it.
Cleanup matters almost as much as disposal. The agency specifically told owners to “wash and sanitize pet food bowls, cups, and storage containers,” and to clean hands, utensils, and other surfaces that may have touched the product, while customers can also contact Elite Treats for refund or replacement information.
At the end of the day, this recall is a reminder that pet food safety is also home safety, right down to the counter where a bag gets opened and the floor where crumbs can land.
The official statement was published on the FDA.
