Chewable animal toy

A mold unit for making a chewable animal toy, the chewable animal toy having an edible core and a plastic tearable outer shell molded around the edible core such that a portion of the edible core protrudes from the outer shell, the mold unit comprising:

• (a) a first mold half having a first mold cavity;
• (b) a second mold half having a second mold cavity, wherein the second mold half is engageable with the first mold half such that the first and second mold cavities cooperatively define an outer shell mold cavity;
• and
• (c) a first pocket defined between the first and second mold halves that is adapted to receive a first protruding portion of the edible core;
• and
• (d) a first shut off defined within the first pocket, the first shut off adapted to surround the first protruding portion of the edible core such that the first protruding portion is substantially isolated from the outer shell mold cavity.

A method for making a chewable animal toy, the chewable animal toy having an edible core and a plastic tearable outer shell molded around the edible core such that a portion of the edible core protrudes from the outer shell, the method comprising:

• (a) providing a mold unit having a first mold half with a first mold cavity and a second mold half with a second mold cavity;
• (b) positioning the edible core within the first mold cavity;
• (c) isolating a first protruding portion of the edible core from the first mold cavity;
• (c) engaging the first mold half with the second mold half such that the first and second mold cavities cooperatively define an outer shell mold cavity around a majority of the edible core;
• (d) injecting material into the outer shell mold cavity to form the outer shell around the edible core such that the protruding portion of the edible core remains exposed.