A Nova Scotia woman is sharing her story after the death of her beloved pet, Lexie, in hopes it helps other pet owners.
Deborah Lewis says she knew the moment she arrived home from vacation last week that something was wrong.
“She wasn’t there to greet me, which was a little unusual, and then I came up the stairs and she wasn’t in her chair, which was her favourite spot,” recalled Lewis.
“I was a little worried at that point.”
She found Lexie in the dining room with a chip bag suctioned to her head. Lewis, who is a veterinary technician, says she knew it was too late to help her dog.
“(The chip bag) was on the counter, and my family had thought it was far enough away, out of her reach,” said Lewis. “It wasn’t uncommon for us to leave things at the back of the counter, and she wouldn’t get them.”
She warns the tragedy could happen to other pets, including dogs and cats, because the bag’s strong material can create a vacuum-like seal around their necks.
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Veterinarian Ainsley Davidson-Rowe is a colleague of Lewis’s and knew Lexie well. She says Lexie’s case wasn’t the first time she’s seen pet suffocation.
“If you know you have a dog who gets into trouble when you’re not home, sometimes it’s safer to keep them crated when you’re not home or to keep them in a contained area,” said Davidson-Rowe.
“Even if you don’t have pets, it will save wildlife. Just a simple cut along the bottom off the bag. You could even take it one step further and cut it up the side too.”
The pair is also urging companies to add warning labels to snack bags.
The call is part of a larger movement.
The founder of Prevent Pet Suffocation, a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to spreading awareness around the dangers of food packaging, says it’s a global problem.
Bonnie Harlan hears from several pet owners each week who have lost their animals because of a snack bag.
She launched the foundation after her four-year-old rescue dog, Blue, passed away in 2011 after suffocating on a chip bag.
Harlan encourages pet owners to learn CPR.
“From our international survey we have done on pet suffocation, about 10 per cent of the suffocation events, pets were revived,” she said.
“That’s not the biggest number, but it’s an important number. I do recommend learning pet CPR.”
Through these prevention steps, Lewis hopes Lexie’s legacy lives on.
“Her story has reached so many people already, and just knowing they’ve been able to get a glimpse into the dog that she was means so much,” said Lewis.
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