"Allamagoosa" is a Hugo-winning humorous science fiction short story by the English author Eric Frank Russell, originally published in the May 1955 issue of Astounding.
To his annoyance, communications officer Burman discovers that the list of equipment they were originally issued includes something called an "offog"; however, no one among the crew has any idea what that is, or even what department it should belong to.
The captain solves this second problem by having Burman discreetly dispose of the "offog," blandly notifying headquarters that the item had "came apart under gravitational stress" when the ship passed close to a star.
Two days later, an almost-unprecedented emergency transmission recalls Earth's entire spacefleet to the nearest ports; an equally urgent query is directed specifically to the Bustler, demanding full details surrounding the destruction of the device.
(Furthermore, Peaslake's collar, drinking bowl, and bed had immediately preceded the "offog" on the inventory list, and had been correctly ticked off without McNaught and Burman realizing the connection.)