Prevent Pet Suffocation Spreads More Awareness About Pet Suffocation

Fox 8 News Cleveland Interview Image

Prevent Pet Suffocation Logo

Prevent Pet Suffocation and a grieving pet owner whose puppy suffocated in a chip bag are featured in a Fox 8 News Cleveland media segment to raise awareness.

I tell everyone, cut up your food bags. If it has food in it, cut it up!”

— Bonnie Harlan, Founder of Prevent Pet Suffocation

HOUSTON, TEXAS, US, November 17, 2023 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Prevent Pet Suffocation continues its international mission to spread awareness to educate the public on the suffocation risks our pets face from food bags and other food packaging.

Bonnie Harlan, Founder of Prevent Pet Suffocation, and Kameron Cordes of Jeromesville, Ohio are featured in a recent media interview with Suzanne Stratford, a reporter with Fox 8 News Cleveland. Both pet owners lost their beloved rescue dogs to pet suffocation in a chip bag.

Kameron and his fiancée lost their five month old Australian Shepherd puppy, Nakita, when she suffocated in a chip bag found in the bedroom. They had rescued "Kita" to help them heal from a recent personal loss. After an evening of late night snacking and watching television, Kameron woke up in the morning and realized Kita was not there to help wake him up. Then he saw her lying motionless on the floor with a chip bag over her head, left out from the night before. "It was so draining that day," Cordes said. "As soon as we left the vet, we came home and laid in bed the next three days." Kameron had never heard of pets suffocating in food bags before, and neither had his vet. "She looked at me like I was crazy", said Cordes. Now, there are no more food bags in his house.

Bonnie Harlan talks with Suzanne Stratford on the loss of her dog, Blue, the perils of pet suffocation, and how the issue is just not widely known, even with many veterinarians. Bonnie arrived home one day after doing some errands and Blue did not greet her at the door. "I thought that was pretty unusual", she said. She found Blue under a table unresponsive. He had suffocated in a chip bag. “My vet said I could have warned you about a hundred things, but a chip bag would not have been on the list”, said Harlan. Dr. Randy Hutchison, a veterinarian with Animal Clinic Northview in North Ridgeville, Ohio, explains further. "It’s the length of their muzzle that causes the bag to go along the length of their head, and as they’re breathing in, the moisture they create makes the bag even stickier and it sticks to their head at that point”, said Dr. Hutchison, “And the harder they breathe, the tighter it gets.” Harlan reports that “I typically hear from 3-4 devastated pet owners per week." She tells everyone, "Cut up your food bags. If it has food in it, cut it up!"

To access the media interview, please click here.

Prevent Pet Suffocation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit whose mission is to raise awareness of the suffocation risks our pets face from chip bags, snack bags, pet food bags, and other food packaging to prevent pet suffocation. Prevent Pet Suffocation was founded in 2012 by Bonnie Harlan, who lost her rescue dog, Blue, when he suffocated in a chip bag in December 2011.

Chip bags and other food packaging pose serious suffocation risks to our pets. Too many pets, especially dogs, have died from suffocating in chip bags, cereal boxes, snack bags, pet treat bag liners, and pet food bags. A lot 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 food bag from his head, he will usually start to panic, desperately running around until he collapses and dies from asphyxiation. This happens within minutes.

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

Please visit our website and follow us on our social media accounts to learn all the safety tips you can use to prevent pet suffocation in your home, car, yard, and community. In addition, if you know someone who has experienced pet suffocation, please have them contact us at info@preventpetsuffocation.com. Our Facebook Page also serves as a wonderful support group for grieving pet owners.

Bonnie Harlan
Prevent Pet Suffocation, Inc.
+1 844-777-9880
info@preventpetsuffocation.com
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Instagram
YouTube
TikTok

Fox 8 News Cleveland Story on Pet Suffocation