Papelbon's dog reportedly now admits that he did chew on the World Series ball. However, he only did it to the one ball, and that was to address a serious health problem that was afflicting him at the time (unspecified; worms maybe?). He has never chewed on a World Series baseball since then, he understands it is wrong, and he will never do it again. He now confines his chewing to traditional and approved objects such as rawhide bones, Milk Bonez, and old shoes.