Chip bags and other food bags and packaging pose serious suffocation risks to our pets. Too many pets, especially dogs, have died from suffocating in chip bags, snack bags, cereal bags, pet food bags, and other plastic bags. Many of these bags are made from a strong mylar-like material (like a balloon) which helps keep snacks fresher. When a curious dog puts his head into the bag looking for leftover crumbs, the bag creates a vacuum-like seal around the dog’s neck.  As he tries to breathe, the bag tightens around his neck, cutting off the oxygen.  When a dog cannot remove the bag from his head, he will usually start to panic, desperately running around until he collapses and dies from asphyxiation, often losing his bowels, as well. This happens within minutes.

We can reduce the number of accidental pet deaths by educating the public on the suffocation dangers of these types of bags.  Most people do not know that these mylar bags are a suffocation hazard to their animals until it happens to their pet. Many pet owners have walked into another room of the house or arrived home and found their dog lying motionless with a chip bag or other type of bag on his head.  The more people are aware of this risk, the more pet owners can do to ensure their pet is safe. Spreading awareness is our best defense against pet suffocation!

Pet suffocation happens daily, whether the owner is home or not. Pet size or breed does not matter. Please visit the “Information” page to see what you can do to prevent pet suffocation from happening to your beloved pet.