‘Freak accident’: N.S. dog owner shares warning after dog suffocates in chip bag

A Nova Scotia woman lost her dog after it suffocated inside a potato chip bag.

A Nova Scotia woman is sharing a warning with other pet owners after tragically losing her dog last week.

When Deborah Lewis arrived home the evening of June 17, she knew right away something was wrong.

“Usually, Lexie was out and about free, so she wasn’t at the gate to greet me, and when I came upstairs, she wasn’t in her usual spot,” she said.

Lewis continued into the house, which is where she found her nearly 12-year-old dog Lexie had suffocated after getting her head stuck in a chip bag.

“I went to her right away and pulled the bag off, but she was gone sadly,” said Lewis. “I could just tell that it was just too late for anything to kind of bring her back to me. It was rough.”

Lewis is a veterinary technician and had heard of this happening before but never witnessed it for herself while working. It’s something she never expected would happen.

“It wasn’t uncommon for us to leave snacks or food pushed back far on the counters where we felt it was out of her reach. It had been there for over a day without her getting into it,” said Lewis. “Somehow she just managed to reach it that day.”

By all accounts, Lewis had felt the bag was in a safe spot and could never have imagined her dog getting into it.

“We worry more maybe about the things that they’re eating that they can get into, but the packages themselves are a big hazard.”

It’s only been about a week since Lexie died, and it’s been extremely difficult for Lewis losing her best friend.

“While it’s a freak accident, it’s something that commonly happens to pets and until more people are aware and can do their best to prevent it from happening, but you know, there’s always that chance it still can,” she said.

Lexie was just weeks away from turning 12. Her ashes have now been brought home and have been placed next to her favourite spot in the living room.

“Despite being a senior dog, she was so full of energy. We called her ‘my forever puppy’ because she was just filled with energy and definitely did not act like a senior dog. She was very healthy, a happy girl.”

‘It happens daily’

While an occurrence like this may seem rare, it’s not.

“It happens daily, and it happens quickly. It happens within minutes,” said Prevent Pet Suffocation founder Bonnie Harlan.

“It can actually happen to any size animals, so whether you have a small teacup toy poodle or a Great Dane.”

Harlan’s non-profit, which is based out of Houston, Texas, was created after her dog Blue suffocated in a chip bag in December 2011.

“I had never heard of pet suffocation before. So, I figured if I had never heard of it, it was so devastating that probably a lot of other people had not heard of it either,” she said.

Preventing suffocation

There are changes pet owners can make to try and prevent pet suffocation from happening.

Harlan first suggests storing all snacks or food products in cupboards or high up away from where pets could access them. She also said to store the food in containers – not in the original bag.

Next, she said all food bags, whether it’s cereal, chips or dog food, should be cut up before being put into the garbage.

“I say one of the best tools you can have in your kitchen is a pair of scissors,” said Harlan.

Once the bags are in the garbage, she said the bin should be stored away from where your pet could access it. She said cutting up the bags also helps reduce the risk of wildlife suffocating in bags.

“These are just some of the things that you can do to eliminate a pet suffocation risk in your home, but also you want to use these measures in your car, in your yard, in your garage, anywhere that your pet might be unfortunately could be a risk to them,” she said.

Harlan also noted anyone around your pets, including a pet sitter, neighbour, or your child’s friend, should be aware of the risks.

“Even though you can be pretty vigilant, maybe you have a guest staying that has something in their luggage or their backpack or their purse, and you can be caught off guard and distracted and your pet can get into trouble pretty quickly,” she said.

Lewis hopes others will take these precautions.

“It can really happen to anyone, even if your pet’s never been the type to get into things before, and it can happen whether you’re home or not, it can just happen so quickly,” she said.

“Think about Lexie. She was just a dog who was so full of love and just remember her when they’re taking these precautions.”

For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page