Pets at Home under fire after Charlie dies in freak tragedy

A woman whose dog died in minutes as it was strangled by its collar has called on pet companies to display warning signs and said she will never put a collar on a pet again. The 70-year-old owner watched her 18-month-old miniature labradoodle Charlie suffocate after his collar was pulled tight while play-fighting with another dog.

By the time she was able to react and unclip the head collar it was too late – Charlie had “collapsed on the lawn” and gone “limp”. She said she did not see warning signs when purchasing the 3 Peaks collar from Pets at Home last year and now fears other dogs could be at risk of dying.

The company extended its deepest sympathies and said their 3 Peaks collars are rigorously tested, with safety messaging and guidance displayed on the packaging. Now the owner has since launched a petition demanding pet companies display information about the dangers of dog collars and develop safer alternatives.

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The whole experience has left her feeling “depressed” and she now struggles to spend time in her back garden where the traumatic incident took place.

She said: “My dog died by the time we managed to unclip the collar – it was just horrible,” she told PA Real Life. “It all happened so quickly, I had very little time to react to the whole thing before he died. I would never have even put a collar on him if I had known of the risks because it’s just all been so devastating for me. It was so traumatic watching what happened and feeling helpless.”

Charlie was play-fighting with a familiar dog in their back garden in early August when she noticed there was a problem. The other dog’s teeth had became caught inside Charlie’s collar and accidentally pulled it tight.

“It all happened so quickly – within minutes,” said Charlie's owner. “My dog just kind of collapsed on the lawn and then he basically went limp – it was tragic. It was only then that we were able to unclip the collar because it had been pulled so taut by the other dog’s teeth. Everything was fine one minute and the next minute he was dead. I could never ever have imagined or visualised that happening.”

In the UK, dogs are legally required to wear a collar in public places with the owner’s name and address on it.

A spokesperson for Pets at Home said: “Pet safety and welfare is our utmost priority, and our 3 Peaks collars are rigorously tested to the highest manufacturing standards. We always ensure that safety messaging and guidance regarding the supervision of pets while they are wearing accessories are clearly displayed on the packaging. We remain in contact and extend our deepest sympathies during this difficult time.”

A spokesperson for the RSPCA said: “We are deeply saddened to hear about the death of this poor dog and our thoughts go out to the owners. Thankfully, incidents like this are incredibly rare. But if dog owners are concerned, we would recommend a collar with a buckle that can be released quickly in case it gets caught, and choosing a collar made from material which can be cut through in the event of an emergency. Collars should also be appropriately fitted with sufficient space between the neck about the width of two fingers. Ensuring that your dog is wearing a collar and identification tag is required by law and there are also many benefits to collars and tags, such as being able to identify owners quickly if your dog goes missing.”

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