A dog has unfortunately passed away after being suffocated by its collar whilst playing with another dog.
Michael Reeves owned two dogs. Bruno, a six month old miniature Schnauzer and Ada, a 13 month old miniature Schnauzer American Poodle cross. Last week, Michael Reeves left his home for a few hours, only to come back to a gruesome discovery. When he returned, he found his beloved family dog Ada had died.
Ada asphyxiated when she was playing rough with her brother Bruno. Between Bruno tugging Ada’s collar and Ada trying to pull herself away, the collar got tighter and tighter.
Ada was asphxiated by her dog collar during rough play with her younger sibling Bruno. Credit: Michael Reeves
Reeves used to have the dogs wear their collars all the time. But not anymore. He’s also warning other dog owners from having their dog wear collars unless they’re going out on a leash.
“All you need is one unfortunate motion for that collar to turn into a noose,” he warns.
Dog Collars Can Turn Into A Noose By Accident.
Ada was a wonderful addition to Reeve’s home. However, as she got more and more vocal when no one else was around, Bruno was brought in to be her companion.
Reeves gave the two dogs a quick pat and rub when he popped home from work at 1pm. He told the dogs, “see you in a few hours.”
When he returned three hours later, Ada was stiff on the floor with Bruno beside her. Bruno was looking at Ada, almost like “come on, let’s play,” Reeves said.
Ada and Bruno were best friends. Credit: Michael Reeves.
Since the accident, Reeves no longer has Bruno wearing a collar around the home. And when Reeves gets a companion dog for Bruno, it won’t be wearing a collar full time either.
Reeves has also posted about the incident on a Facebook group in order to warn other owners about the risk. Some commenters said they experienced the same thing, but they were there in the nick of time to save their dogs from suffocating.
Bruno has been devastated at the loss of his best friend. He often looks lost and spends most of the day looking for Ada, according to Reeves. He also sniffs the spot where Ada used to sleep.
Reeves would get a companion dog for Bruno when he’s ready. However, Reeves would no longer have either dog wear a collar around the home.
Dog collars can become a ‘noose’ during rough play. Credit: SUPPLIED/STUFF
Is Suffocation By Dog Collar A Common Occurrence?
Todd Field, a Town and Country Vets from Richmond, New Zealand, said most owners have their dogs wear their collars 24/7. This is to ensure that their council tags would be visible if the dogs escaped.
Fields had never heard of a dog suffocating in a circumstance like Ada’s, calling it a ‘freak accident’.
However, Fields has suggested using harnesses for dog owners that still wish to have the council tags on their dogs.
While Fields has never heard of such an event, Auckland Good Dog Training owner Amber Silich said she has. Many of Silich’s clients have been through a similar experience. In fact, she calls it ‘quite a common occurrence.’
Silich recommends that collars should be left off in multi-dog homes to avoid the dogs suffocating during rough play. However, for a single dog at home, she sees no problem with the dog wearing a collar for identification if it escapes.
The choice to wear a collar or not at home is a balancing act for the owner to weigh up and decide.
Do you have your dog wear a collar at home or not? Let us know in the comments below!
