Sherwood Park woman saves dog’s entangled in collar
Posted January 26, 2023 3:58 pm.
Last Updated January 26, 2023 6:41 pm.
Home Security footage shows Brandy Harker’s two dogs Fender and Gibson rough-housing when one dog’s mouth got stuck in the other dog’s collar.
“It’s coyote mating season right now, and we back onto a golf course area and my first thought was a coyote got in the backyard and got them,” explained Harker.
After hearing the commotion, the video shows Harker running outside to her dog’s rescue.
“They do play kind of rough, they are pups, but my first thought when I saw them together like that was ‘he was hurting her’ and I couldn’t believe it because he is such a gentle pup. And when I got to them I could see he had his mouth open and was trying to get free.”
“It took I would say 10 seconds but it felt like an eternity. But I had to physically turn her body to get her unstuck, and if she was any bigger of a dog, I don’t know if I could do it. She had stopped screaming at that point because I think oxygen had been cut off at that point for her.”
CityNews spoke to an Edmonton dog trainer who says these sorts of hazards can happen and says it’s best to remove collars from dogs who are in a play setting or left unsupervised or to use a quick-release collar.
Brandy Harker’s dogs Fender and Gibson.
“It’s definitely something that can occur when you have dog social play and dogs hanging out with one another so it is one of the big risks to be aware of with dog interactions,” explained Alecia Muirhead, certified dog trainer and behaviour consultant with Muttlife Dog Training.
“Naked is best when left unsupervised for sure, or when they are in a play setting where it is hard to get to them right away. Having either naked so no collar or having them on a quick-release or breakaway collar to separate them easily is best.”
Muirhead explains that many risks can happen when dogs are left unsupervised and left wearing something around their neck. “So it can get stuck in heat vents, if a dog is crate trained or left kenneled it can get stuck on any of those wires, and that becomes a risk for choking.”
Brandy Harker’s dogs Fender and Gibson.
There are measures that can be taken to try and lower the risk of accidental injuries which includes a buckle collar, “if it were to get tangled and have a dog stuck in it, it can quickly pop open and the dog is released and they are able to get untangled and unstuck from it, versus some other collars with a belt buckle style, these can be very tricky.”
And if something were to happen to your dog and its collar, Muirhead says “it’s important to see your vet or seek veterinary care afterward because there can be injuries related with these choking situations that you can not observe on your own.”
Thankfully, Fender and Gibson both left the incident unscathed. “They are naked haha, my puppies do not wear collars anymore inside, and even out on walks, I’m still very scared.”
In the video, there was also a mystery man who was ready to jump into action. To him, Harker says, “I really want to find him, just to thank him.”
“That’s rare to see these days, where someone will come to that sort of screaming, so I am very thankful and it restored my faith in humanity just a little bit more.”
