I’m a vet and my dog died due to her collar – now I’m warning other owners, if it happened to me it can happen to anyone
A VET has revealed how his dog tragically passed away due to its collar.
Amir Anwary returned from a jog to find his beloved pooch, Nala, had died in his front garden last summer.
Now, she has bravely shared his story to warn other dog owners how it can happen to them if they’re not careful.
The Great Dane was play-fighting with her mum, named Shelby, when the tragic accident occurred.
“It’s one of those things you never, ever think is going to happen to you until it does,” Amir shared in a viral video warning other dog owners.
“It is absolutely traumatising – I’ve barely been able to speak about it.”
The vet had gone for a jog one morning and left his phone in the car – but when he returned , he found 60 missed calls.
His neighbours had reported commotion in his front garden to the local animal protection body.
At this point, Amir was only aware that his “neighbours were freaking out” and “something had happened” to his pets.
When he rushed back home, he saw 30 people standing round the gate of his house. They insisted that his dogs had been fighting.
Amir, knowing them well, could tell that they weren’t when he saw Nala by the corner of the gate and Shelby’s mouth by her neck.
When he jumped over the fence, he found that Nala’s collar had twisted and tragically suffocated her.
This happened while she was play-fighting with Shelby, whose jaw got caught under the collar and twisted it.
Shelby was unable to break free as the collar had gotten stuck behind her canines – meaning she further tightened it around Nala’s neck whenever she tried to break free.
“There was no loose room for the collar to slip back off,” Amir said.
“It was so tight that I actually had to cut the collar off.”
He recalled how Nala’s face was “swollen” from the pressure and Shelby’s “jaw was bleeding from where she was trying so hard to get the collar off”.
The vet urged people to take their dogs’ collars off at home and opt for ones that loosen the material if it gets bitten or pulled on.
A safer option is a breakaway colour.
These are designed to separate and fall away under pressure, allowing dogs to escape a collar entanglement situation and death from strangulation.
Dog Owner Guide: All You Need To Know
Owning and keeping a dog happy and healthy is not only a long-term financial, but a lifetime commitment.
Nine facts you should know ahead of time:
- Why do dogs lick you?
- Is it legal to let my dog off its lead?
- Why do dogs sneeze when they play?
- Can I be fined for letting my dog hang out the car window?
- Will my dog be put down for attacking a human?
- What are the most dangerous dog breeds?
- When is it too hot to walk your dog?
- When is it too cold to walk your dog?
- How to stop a dog barking?