Heartbroken dog owner warns of suffocation from crisp packets after pet tragically dies at home

A grieving woman is speaking out about the tragic loss of her dog in hopes that it will prevent other pets from suffering the same fate.

In an emotional Facebook post, Christina Young from Texas, shared the heartbreaking story of how her dog, Petey Pablo, died after an unfortunate household accident claimed his life.

On February 19, Young explains that her and her partner, Christian, both headed out to work as normal. But when she kissed her pet goodbye, she had no idea it would be for the last time.

Tragically, while the couple were out, Petey Pablo, found a packet of unopened crisps in the kitchen which became stuck on his snout and caused him to suffocate.

“Last Monday, Christian beat me home from work by about 10 min and was surprised when Petey didn’t greet him at the door like usual,” Young wrote.

“As he walked in further he saw our sweet boy laying lifeless with a stupid chip bag over his head. He was able to get them off the counter that we will forever blame ourselves for leaving out.

“He ate every chip out but of course went back for crumbs. With there being nothing left inside every time he would go for more he would inhale making the bag tighter and tighter around his head ultimately resulting in suffocation.”

The distraught woman added that Petey was a smart dog and couldn’t understand why he wouldn’t have used his paws to remove the packet from his head.

However, after doing a little research she discovered that this was in fact an incredibly common cause of many pet deaths.

“The stats on how often this happens is shocking,” she explained.

“Three to five pet suffocations get reported every week and 42 per cent of those occur while the owner is in the next room. It only takes about 3 minutes for their oxygen to drop to fatal levels. With this happening so often we were so surprised by the lack of awareness on this topic out there.”

The self-proclaimed “overprotective dog mamma” goes on to explain that she and her partner didn’t realise just how dangerous something like this could be and hope that other pet owners learn from their heartbreaking loss.

“Chip bags, cereal bags, bread bags, popcorn bags, dog/cat treat bags seem to be the most common,” she added.

“So I just ask that in honour of my boy Petey that you be extra careful, warn other dog owners and give your fur babies some extra love today and everyday after this.

“I pray none of you ever have to experience your heart breaking this way.”

British Veterinary Association senior vice president Gudrun Ravetz told The Independent, “Pets are curious and will manage to sniff out food wherever it is, with vets often seeing the tragic consequences of dogs and cats falling ill or, in worst case scenarios, dying from food packaging.

“We would advise pet owners to keep food safely stored out of reach of their pets, use pet-proof containers to store any edible items and monitor them while on walks outside. In case of an emergency, contact your local vet immediately.”