In Memory of Jaxx Risolo

08/05/2024

Rip Ollie

This grieving family is heartbroken over losing their 8 month old Pug, Ollie, on Monday when he suffocated in a snack bag. Stephanie Gilliam writes, "I am a registered veterinary technologist of 20 years. We just lost our sweet boy. In my 20 years of vet med I had never seen a suffocation from a bag, but now I know. In my grief I know that I don’t ever want another family going thru this so if you would like to use our story to raise awareness please do. Thank you for what you do!

We are really in need of prayers so here it goes. Ollie was a dream come true for my kiddos. My boys have wanted a Pug for about as long as they could say the word pug. I always told them no. We lost our sweet Lab Hondo in a horrible accident last summer. Finally in November I gave in. We were getting a Pug. They were so excited.
Ollie was instantly a part of our family. He was easy to train and loved to cuddle. It has been a long time since I had a bond with a dog like I did Ollie. He went everywhere with us… hikes, to work with me, to grandmas for dinners, even on vacation. He was Sawyer's best friend. We are in love.

On Monday, Sawyer was home alone with Ollie as Kyle was working and I had the other kids at the barn riding. Sawyer fell asleep watching tv on the couch with Ollie. When he woke up Ollie wasn’t there. He went searching the house and found Ollie in his room, with a bag over his head, limp. Ollie had knocked a box of vanilla wafer cookies off of the pantry shelf and had the bag on his head. He suffocated.

We are all just crushed, and to be very candid, I am filled with anger. We take such great care of our animals. Our dogs get the best food, vet care, training, and socialization. Why in the heck have we lost 3 dogs in the past 8 months, and 2 of them way too soon in tragic deaths? And why did my 13 year old have to be the one to take the brunt of it?

I am usually not this open on social media but if you would please send all of your thoughts and prayers our way we would really appreciate it. Sawyer can honestly barely function right now. I am hoping I can get him to go to school today. He hasn’t slept well for 2 days. Last night I had to give him medications to help him sleep. He is feeling intense guilt and can’t stop replaying the events of Monday in his head. Please pray that the feelings of guilt he is having will subside. We love you so much, Ollie. I’m so sorry that your life was cut so short."

Losing a beloved family pet to suffocation is such a terrible blow, and it's even harder when our children blame themselves. I tell people you can't prevent what you don't know is a problem. Sharing Ollie's story will make a difference though as it can help save other sweet cats and dogs from pet suffocation. Thank you.
www.preventpetsuffocation.com

17/03/2024

Don’t drink and drive your dog won’t understand why you didn’t come home. Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 🍀

14/03/2024

04/03/2024

A family vacation for the Gelly family ended in grief in February when their 5 year old Terrier Mix suffocated in a chip bag the night they returned. Matt Gelly writes, "Tara and I would like to pass on a PSA to all of you, especially dog owners who keep chips/snacks in the house. Unfortunately this is not a PSA we ever thought we would ever have to pass along.

A few nights ago, our family returned from vacation, we did some unpacking and got ready for bed pretty quickly. One by one we said our goodnights to our dogs who were quietly curled up on the bed. As Brenna was finishing up in the bathroom, there was about a seven minute period of time when the dogs were alone in her room. She opened her bedroom door and suddenly found Peyton lifeless on the ground, with an empty bag of chips over his head. (I won’t go into the specifics of the chaos, confusion, madness, etc. but every attempt was made to try and save him.)

The bag of chips was tightly rolled up, in the bottom of a backpack that was just about zipped all the way up, out of view of the dogs.
They were purchased at the Florida airport and totally forgotten about. Never in my wildest dreams did we ever think that an empty bag of chips could suffocate our dog. Tara and I have never heard of such a thing but our veterinarian told us this is more common than we think. It is a major hazard for dogs and pets alike. As the bag covers over the dogs face, it acts like a vacuum seal on its snout. The dog begins to panic and breathe more rapidly, which only makes it worse. In just a couple minutes the dog will go into cardiac arrest, and then it’s too late.

We have always taken all the normal precautionary procedures to keep a safe environment for Peyton and Paige but never did we know how deadly a snack bag could be. So just for the simple fact of giving our family a little solace, we are passing Peyton’s story on to all of you in hopes that you won’t become a statistic like us.
All you have to do is cut open the side of the bag or even cut off the bottom corner of the bag, anything to get airway to your pet in case it grabs a hold of one.

Peyton was such a sweet dog and a good boy. He didn’t deserve this. No animal does. Unfortunately, we now have to live with this heartbreak for the rest of our lives. We only wish we had this knowledge so we could’ve been more prepared. We love you, Peyton. 💔 🐶 🐾"

It's easy to forget a food bag left in a purse, backpack, carry-on bag, suitcase, vehicle, etc. At Prevent Pet Suffocation, we remind everyone to check for these items, as well as always checking with visitors and overnight guests on any food items they have brought with them. Please share in memory of sweet Peyton. Thank you.
www.preventpetsuffocation.com

03/03/2024

The Carson family is simply heartbroken after losing their 10 year old Boxer/Mastiff rescue when she suffocated in a pet food bag last week. Leesa Carson writes, "I appreciate you so much for starting this group. On Monday my 10 year old son came home to find our sweet Hannah lifeless on the floor with a dog food bag around her head. Hearing him run into the house crying and saying “Hannah is dead” is something that I will never forget. He blamed himself which for me, as a parent, was more devastating than the loss of Hannah. He said that the bag was so tight around her neck he could barely get it off. She was around 10 years old. We adopted her in 2019. The genuine love she gave us and that we felt for her is a gift that I will never take for granted.

The guilt is consuming and I hope to soon find a way to cope. The genuine love she gave us and that we felt for her is a gift that I will never take for granted. I will begin to help educate others about pet suffocation. Your page is helping me so much in grieving. I was so scared to read online about pet suffocation. I didn’t want to read about the horrible way she suffered during her last minutes. Now, after reading other people’s stories and the information you provided I have some comfort knowing she didn’t struggle for long.

Thank you, thank you, and thank you again for getting for voice out there for others to hear and learn from. I would love to help you spread awareness and hopefully prevent other families from having to go through this tragic nightmare."

Please help us spread the word about pet suffocation by sharing in honor of sweet Hannah. Thank you.
www.preventpetsuffocation.com

30/01/2024

The Greif family is heartbroken after losing their beautiful 8 year old cat, Desdemona, when she suffocated in an Iris Plastic Pet Food Container where they stored her food. Ben Greif writes, "We think she managed to open it herself and climb in from a nearby stack of wet food then had the lid fall and the swing momentum catch the handle enough to prevent her from getting back out. It was truly heartbreaking to find her in there and I just wish we had known about the danger."

This is the second cat reported in the last few days who suffocated in this type of airtight plastic container. We have lost several cats to suffocation in plastic bins for food or cat litter. Cats love to get into tight enclosed places. We remind everyone to keep all containers and appliance doors tightly closed and keep food bags and containers off high shelves that cats can easily reach by jumping. Please share in memory of sweet Desdemona. Thank you.
www.preventpetsuffocation.com

30/01/2024

This beautiful Labrador suffocated in a snack bag in early December, crushing his owner. Kristen Ives writes, "I set a partial bag of Smartfood Popcorn (similar to a chip bag) on the kitchen counter and went to take a shower. When I came out Hank was lifeless on the floor like he was sleeping with his entire face up to his ears covered by the bag. Like others, I’m devastated and still can’t believe it happened. Hank was 2.5 years old and so full of life. He was the most affectionate dog and just loved life. It was the first and last thing he ever took off the counter."

Pet suffocation happens within minutes. An owner can be in the shower, in the next room, sitting on the couch, cooking in the kitchen, or just taking out the trash. Pet suffocation is always unexpected. According to our pet suffocation survey, 50% of owners were home when their pet suffocated. We remind everyone to check for pet suffocation risks in your home, yard, and vehicles daily. Please share in memory of sweet Hank.
www.preventpetsuffocation.com

24/01/2024

Prevent Pet Suffocation releases results from their pet suffocation survey to further its mission to spread awareness.

09/01/2024

Please share

Prevent Pet Suffocation is excited to launch our latest Infographic with the data from our Pet Suffocation Survey!

Please share this important infographic with your family, friends, pet sitters, and dog walkers. Ask your vets, rescue groups, and pet shelters to post it on their social media sites and in their offices, etc.

To save the infographic, click on it, then right click, and choose "Save Image As". The infographic will be available to print off from our website soon. Sharing spreads awareness! Thank you!
www.preventpetsuffocation.com

09/01/2024

It was a devastating start to the new year for this grieving family who lost their beloved Beagle on January 7th. Tiffany Helland writes, "Sunday morning at 8:15 am I let the boys out like I do everyday. Chase was running in the yard, barking and waking up the neighborhood like he always does. I let them in around 8:25 and Ollie came back to the bedroom with me, Chase went to the couch. When I got up at 8:45, I assumed Chase was on the couch but he wasn’t. My 13 year old daughter saw her sister's bedroom light on so she went to see if he was in there. She found him.. alone in the corner, lifeless with a beef jerky bag stuck on his head. My 5 year old daughter had taken it to her room for a late night snack and not knowing any better left it on her bed. I will never forget the pain of seeing him like that. He didn’t make a sound, he didn’t fight, or try to get the bag off his head. We were all home, all awake and had no idea. It happened so fast and we didn’t even know. The amount of guilt I feel is overwhelming and the most painful thing I have ever felt. Within 15 minutes my best boy went from running and playing to gone. He was only 6.5 and he didn’t deserve this. My heart is so broken and my house is so empty. I feel so undeserving of the dog I have left. I feel ashamed and broken.

We adopted Chase when he was 9 months old. I was 7 months pregnant at the time. He was home with me during maternity leave, got me through postpartum depression, spent 2020 on lock down with us where we took nightly walks, he let me sob into him for hours when my mom was diagnosed and later died from cancer. I wouldn’t have made it through the last few years without him. He watched our family grow and then lose people we loved. He snuggled so many of our friends and family members. He had a bark that made you laugh. He was a horrible listener but heard everything you said. He sent us on countless manhunts when he decided to run away (he may not have looked it but he was very fast). My heart hurts and I feel more sadness and guilt than I knew humanly possible. I don’t know how I will ever even begin to move past this. I love you Chasey Boy always and forever."

We are never prepared for pet suffocation to take our best friends from us. Please share in honor of sweet Chase. Thank you.

04/01/2024

Prevent Pet Suffocation is excited to launch our latest Infographic with the data from our Pet Suffocation Survey!

Please share this important infographic with your family, friends, pet sitters, and dog walkers. Ask your vets, rescue groups, and pet shelters to post it on their social media sites and in their offices, etc.

To save the infographic, click on it, then right click, and choose "Save Image As". The infographic will be available to print off from our website soon. Sharing spreads awareness! Thank you!
www.preventpetsuffocation.com

28/12/2023

This young pup suffocated in a chip bag a week before Christmas, crushing his owner. Emma Tymchuk writes, "I saw your Instagram video about dog suffocation. Last Tuesday at 2:30 when I came home, I found my dog Milo. He was 2 and a half years old - an Australian Shepherd mix with a Border Collie. He had a Cheetos chip bag stuck to his head. He was dead when I took the bag off. As soon as I opened the door there was no way of knowing no one was home. We had no idea that chip bags or snack bags could be any danger to dogs and I feel like it should be talked about more and put up in vet clinics because we never have heard of it before and to hear that it’s so common. I wish we could’ve prevented this horrible accident for other families as well. Milo was so gentle and such a love bug. He was so smart and loved nature. It wasn’t his time. Thank you for your post. It helped me learn that this is very common, and that now if I have a dog in the future, I can prevent it from happening again."

It's important for all of us to alert our veterinary staff about the dangers of pet suffocation. Please print off the Prevent Pet Suffocation infographic on our website and share with your vets, rescue groups, pet shelters, etc. I'll also post it in the comments. Please share in honor of sweet Milo. Thank you.
www.preventpetsuffocation.com

27/12/2023

Christmas was filled with heartbreak for this devastated family who lost their 6 month old Corgi puppy on Christmas Eve when he suffocated in a chip bag. Tony and Chanda Daggs write, "This Christmas Eve 2023, we lost our baby Corgi to suffocation from a potato chip bag. We were next door visiting with neighbors for Christmas Eve and left DJ at home in the basement where we often watched TV with him and let him out in the yard to run around. My husband checked on DJ twice. It was during the 2nd check, only 15 minutes later that my husband found DJ lifeless with the chip bag over his head. DJ was just 6 months old. We are devastated. If we had only known how dangerous a bag of chips could be!

When we received DJ last August, we ensured safety measures around the house, like the vet had informed us about like no houseplants, grapes, onions, etc, but not a mention of a bag of chips. Never could we ever have imagined how dangerous it could be.

Thank you for your organization. After our pup’s death, I’ve been searching for others who may have experienced this. I was so surprised and saddened to find too many other dog owners who have grieved losses due to suffocation.

I wished our animal clinic had information pamphlets to hand out to us when we brought Dj for his 1st check up and vaccination last September or at his 2nd check up in October. I received several info pamphlets for potty and crate training, reducing biting, etc., but nothing on suffocation. I plan on supplying them with some even if I have to print them out myself.

We will have DJ forever in our hearts. Despite our pain, we are making every effort to think about the joys DJ brought our family. We will use our pain for prevention. We will share the dangers of food packaging so other owners can protect their pets."

One of our goals in 2024 is to reach more veterinarian staff with pet suffocation information. If you haven't already, please share our website, social media pages, and infographics with your pet's veterinarian staff. Please share in honor of little DJ, gone too soon. Thank you!
www.preventpetsuffocation.com

13/12/2023

This pet owner is still grieving the loss of her 5 year old Heeler mix who suffocated in a chip bag in late October. Jessie Hall writes, "I lost my sweet girl to this tragedy on October 20, 2023; thank you for providing awareness to something I’d never heard of, let alone the 30+ people who I’ve told my story that didn’t know of it either. Hopefully raising our voices will create enough awareness to never have to have anyone experience this again. ❤️

We found Harlow unresponsive with a chip bag over her head; she grabbed it out of a trash can that didn’t have a lid. She hadn’t done anything like that before so we never thought twice about it (same story I’ve heard from so many others). Yes, please share my story. It’s heartbreaking that it has to be my story, but if it saves one animal, it will be worth it! ❤️Thank you for all you do!

"It’s heartbreaking that it has to be my story, but if it saves one animal, it will be worth it!" Each story of loss is powerful in its ability to help spread awareness to prevent pet suffocation. Please share in honor of sweet Harlow.
www.preventpetsuffocation.com

17/11/2023

“I never thought that suffocating from a cat food bag would be the cause of his death,” the owner said.

17/11/2023

An urgent warning for all pet owners about a common item found in nearly every home that’s responsible for killing thousands of innocent pets.

17/11/2023

This pet owner is simply crushed after losing his new rescue pup, Aero, a 2 year old Goberian, when she suffocated in a plastic shredded cheese bag yesterday. Gerard Connelly writes, "I had Aero for 6 weeks and she changed my life. She was the light I needed in a dark time. I tried so hard to be a good parent for her, but there wasn’t anything that could have equipped me for this incident without having been made aware of this as a possibility. I wish it was more common knowledge, similar to how so many people know about the dangers of stomach twisting. My heart is broken for my poor girl. She was a rescue and she finally had a happy healthy home to live in."

To be so happy after a rescuing a sweet pup and then to lose her so quickly is just devastating. Please keep all plastic bags like shredded cheese bags and similar ones safely out of reach from your pets. Don't forget to cut them up! Please share in honor of beautiful Aero.
www.preventpetsuffocation.com

17/11/2023

To celebrate the and , a global day of giving, on Tuesday, November 28th, please consider hosting a Fundraiser on Facebook for Prevent Pet Suffocation!

It's a wonderful way to honor a pet you or a friend have lost and/or help to save other pets from suffocation. All funds go directly to support our mission to spread awareness and prevent pet suffocation worldwide.

CLICK on the graphic below to see how easy it is to create your personal Fundraiser. Remember to kick off your fundraiser with your own donation, post updates, and invite your Facebook friends, as well.

Then you can simply CLICK this Link to create your Fundraiser for Prevent Pet Suffocation. It's that easy! And, you can start now! Together we give! Thank you!
https://www.facebook.com/fund/PreventPetSuffocation/

02/11/2023

The Gonzalez family is reeling after losing their 3 year old Pit/Pyrenees pup on October 29th when she suffocated in a Cheetos chip bag. Mike Gonzalez writes, "This past weekend we lost our precious pup Stella. We left on what was an unusually busy Sunday as the kids each had separate events to attend. In a short hour's time when we were gone our dog got into the trash and pulled out a chip bag. She suffocated in it. Jillian came home to find her dead on the dining room floor. She had gotten the chip bag all the way up to her ears and when they inhale the bag forms a vacuum seal that suffocates them in minutes. My poor wife even desperately tried to revive her but it was too late.

We are devastated beyond belief. She was just 3 and in minutes she was gone. I in all my years of having dogs have never heard of the dangers of chip bags. Not one vet, not one warning label not one dog or pet tv show ever told me this could happen. They tell you about chicken bones, chocolate, onions, grapes etc., but chip bags????? Well come to find out it’s a very common danger. Look it up, thousands of dogs suffocate every year on chip bags. It takes MINUTES. You could be home, not even out, and they could be in next room.

Had I ever heard this before my Stella would be here now. I would have cut up the bags before throwing them out. Please please please save yourselves the pain, spread the word to pet owners you know! I loved you Stella like no other dog I’ve ever had. I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you this time. Please read this story I’m sharing and protect your pups!"

Yes, we need to keep spreading awareness! It's our best defense against pet suffocation. We have lost too many innocent pets and wildlife. Please visit our website (link below) to learn more on how you can prevent pet suffocation. It has numerous infographics, PSAs, interviews, videos, and pet safety tips to help protect your pets. Please share in honor of sweet Stella, gone too soon.
www.preventpetsuffocation.com

01/11/2023

The Brown family suffered a horrible loss a week ago when their senior Miniature Pinscher, Rudy, suffocated in a sandwich bag. Christa Brown writes, "We went to bed Monday night and I heard my dog leave the bedroom that night. When I woke up I couldn’t find him. He normally came back to bed after leaving or he slept in the hall. He wasn’t there. I looked for him in the hiding spots I know my pets often use. I found him under my husband's office chair in the office downstairs with the bag over his head. He had passed a while before because he was stiff and cold. He was my 15 year old baby. He was my shadow and best friend."

All types of food bags pose suffocation risks. This particular bag was a grocery store deli sandwich bag. It was primarily paper with a plastic window to display the sandwich. Be cautious and careful with all types of food packaging. Please share in honor of sweet Rudy.
www.preventpetsuffocation.com

09/10/2023

The Hanes family is simply crushed after losing their Corgi puppy this weekend when she suffocated in a chip bag. Tiffany Hanes writes, "We just lost our 8 month old Corgi, Charley, to this. Our sweet baby girl was found with a Cheetos Puffcorn bag over her head motionless by our oldest son when he came in the house from playing football with his younger brother. We are completly devastated by this. She has alway been a little devil and got into anything and everything so we alway tried to make a full sweep of the house to make sure everything harmfull was up so she could not get it before we left. She managed to get an almost empty bag out of a reusable shopping bag we had on a kitchen chair from the day before being a band competion for my son. We got home at 2:30 am so did not even think about it being a danger to our dogs.
We are heartbroken to have lost her so soon to something so terrible and preventable. The guilt we all feel for not putting it out of her reach will haunt us forever. She was a little devil, but the sweetest, most loving girl and always happy and looked to be smiling, always giving love and kisses to us all. We will miss her forever.

We always tried to ensure we were keeping toxic food out of the house or make sure it was not within reach of the dogs, we had no idea this could happen. 😥We are just heart broken. We have another Corgi and he is now realizing his sister is gone so he is now grieving her.😢💔 We will be spreading the word as well to bring more awareness."

Losing a new puppy to pet suffocation is just heart wrenching. Spreading awareness is our best defense against pet suffocation. Please share in honor of Charley, who wasn't even a year old. 💔
www.preventpetsuffocation.com

25/09/2023

Prevent pet suffocation. Cut your chip bags!

The Glynn family is completely shocked and heartbroken after losing their beloved dog last Thursday when she suffocated in a chip bag. Chuck Glynn writes, "Oddly enough, my wife and I rarely go out, until 9/21/2023. On that night, we left for about 4 hours. When we walked in the door, we were met by 1 of 2 beauties. That was out of place. I noticed a chair knocked over from our dining room table. I immediately knew something was wrong. I ran into our bedroom to find Alli laying on our bed. The spot that has become her part of the bed...she slept there nightly. I saw the bag still over her head. I knew instantly this was not going to be a good outcome. I yelled to my wife, "Alli died!" She came in and we did perform CPR on her. hat was our initial shock. She had already begun to have rigor mortis set in. It was futile. I wrapped her up in a sheet and took her to the local university, who has a small animal ER. I knew they would be able to process her remains, in a dignified manner.

After 3 days, we are still lost and searching for a reason this happened. We did understand her obsession with food, so we did take steps to limit her access. But she could stand over 5 feet tall. So, at this point all we can do is surmise what actually happened. We believe she had gotten a Lay's Tostitos bag from our countertop. She took it into our dining room and finished eating the chips. This may have happened a couple of days earlier, because when we left that night, the chips were not on the counter. We pulled drawers open to prevent her from getting stuff from there. We suspect she began sniffing around inside the bag for any scraps she may have left behind. When the bag began to close in on her, she ran from under the table, knocking the chair over. In her remaining minutes, she made her way into bed. We have created our narrative to be as the hypoxia began to set in, she began to feel tired, and went in to lay down. We know it probably wasn't as simple as this. However, it is our story, and we want to make her at peace as much as possible.

Alli was 7 years old. We adopted her when she was a mere 4 months old. She lived her life with her big (haha, so much smaller) sister, Lilli. Alli was presented to us a boxer mix. However, I had always suspected this may have been a bit inaccurate. But to us, it was irrelevant. She was just Alli...an insanely crazy lovable character!!

My wife and I, both, have never heard of a such a thing. We had no clue pets could suffocate through a bag of chips. It is a death that is unfathomable. It is something we could have only imagined seeing in some sort of twisted horror movie. This is only due to the lack of communication the manufacturers conveniently omit from their packaging. A child's car seat will tell you if you don't secure properly the child is a risk. And this is only common sense...we should all know if it isn't there correctly, injury may occur. Yet, a high majority of people have no idea of the risks of chips bags...and they put no warning on the labels. Had there been a warning, we would have surely seen it and taken the necessary actions to ensure no animal would ever become at risk of suffocation because of how we dispose of chips bags. This really supersedes our home. It will have an impact on all animals that come into contact with the bags that are disposed of intact. I understand Alli's role in this tragedy, but it could have been avoided with a simple warning message on a bag.

I have already signed the petition and made a minor donation. There will be more, for sure. As we go through this lost and sad, we don't want anyone else to walk in these shoes. So, whatever we can do to prevent it, we will. This has become life changing. I made the statement I had wanted a Thursday "do over" a few hours after I took her to the university. The next morning I set my mind to never have another "do over" in my life. We have set our minds to make changes for us to live a happier life, on our terms. And part of this will be spreading the word about this. So, should you need anything from us, please let us know. If you have any literature or brochures that we could distribute to our local veterinary offices, we would be happy to do so.

I would be remiss to not take a moment to share with you our sadness that you had to experience this, as well. We are so sorry! Yet, we are thankful for you for putting your sadness into action...putting your sadness into your website...and putting your sadness into advocacy for all of our pets. Thank you so much for your kind words and for helping us memorialize Alli on your website."

Prevent Pet Suffocation has been advocating for warning labels on chip bags for 10 years through our online petition to Frito Lay. Please take a minute to sign our petition, if you haven't already, in honor of Alli and all the pets we have lost to suffocation in chip bags and snack bags. We are almost to 50,000 signatures! Click on the link. Thank you!
https://www.change.org/p/frito-lay-add-pet-suffocation-warning-labels-to-your-chip-bags