22/10/2021
A giant heartfelt thank you and shout out to Lynette Smith and Labradorablebffs Ryder Safe Foundation for saving dogs lives through dog collar safety awareness and collar accident prevention education! 💖🐾💖
This entire month of October is Pet Safety Awareness Month. October 24th, 2018 we lost our beloved Ryder Jackson to Dog Collar strangulation, and our black lab Skyrah became a survivor of this tragic moment. Skyrah’s jaw was hooked on Ryders collar, her tooth was stuck….he was strangled and sadly died. Skyrah sustained damage to her jaw with a large edema on each side. They healed after a few weeks and she’s lucky that she only has a scar that remains under her jaw. Honestly, she's lucky to be alive. Many dogs are not so lucky. Sometimes both dogs die, or one dies and the other sustains really horrific injuries (to horrible to post). We were unaware of the dangers associated with dog collars, and the danger our dogs were exposed to daily by wearing a collar.
We were (and still are) so heartbroken that we lost Ryder, and thankful in the same breath that Skyrah survived. Our goal is to help educate others about the dangers of dog collars, how to use them safely, and provide links to other “safer” collar options. We don’t receive any profit for sharing our story or sharing links. These are solely shared with the hope that it saves a life and prevents someone else from going through what we have.
Since Ryder’s death two dog collar companies have joined our mission and created dog safe “Breakaway” dog collars that break away when tension is applied…one in the UK and one in the US. It’s a long road for collar safety education, but we will continue to get the word out in an effort to save other pet owners from going through what we have. My heart breaks daily to know…that someone today…. somewhere will lose their dog(s) to collar strangulation or entanglement.
The Ryder Safe Foundation was started a few weeks after Ryder died in an effort to honor his life, educate others, and also honor Skyrah who survived. We hear stories daily of “near misses” or tragic stories of other dogs who have died.
You can read our story at: https://www.facebook.com/labradorablebffs/photos/a.189879421934055/189879381934059
Potential Collar Dangers are listed below. Dog collars can get stuck and/or caught/hung up on many home items. When dogs get entangled with their collar on – one will alligator roll (or both) and the collars get tight very quickly. Sometimes it’s almost impossible to get the dogs unhooked because they’re so tight (and you would need bolt cutters or industrial strength scissors). One of the most dangerous collars for entanglement are chain collars. The only way to unhook a chain collar is with bolt cutters when a dog gets entangled.
Potential Dangers:
✅ Heater floor vents
✅ Deck Slats
✅ Furniture
✅ Fences
✅ Doork***s
✅ Entanglement during play
✅ Crates and kennels (tag gets caught on the wire or open areas)
✅ Doggie Doors
ALL these items listed above (and so many more) expose your dog to danger every single day. Approximately 26,000 dogs die yearly that we know of. That’s 70 people who will lose their beloved fur family member just today... that’s 490 dogs in just 7 days. These are the ones "known". When I talk with others, it's usually about 1 in 3 people that have either lost a dog to collar strangulation, a near miss from collar strangulation, or know someone who has lost a dog to collar strangulation. Collars serve a great purpose, but they can also be dangerous when used without knowing the dangers, and safer ways to use them.
We recommend Breakaway Collars that breakaway when tension is applied. “Quick Release” collars only release at the hands of a human – and sometimes when dogs are entangled, they do not come apart easily unless cut with industrial-strength scissors..
We hope this information helps to keep your pet(s) safe. We recommended microchipping your dog(s) and remember:
REMOVE COLLARS:
✅ When dogs are home alone unattended
✅ During play to prevent collar strangulation
✅ NEVER kennel/Crate a dog with a collar on to prevent strangulation
