We recently lost our beautiful 13-month old black lab, River. We were unaware of the dangers of letting our dog play, chew or retrieve sticks. We would like to warn other dog owners of the dangers and potential harm that sticks can cause to your dog.
River loved to retrieve sticks. On an afternoon walk a few weeks ago, we threw a stick for him to fetch. He pounced on it with his usual enthusiasm. The stick flipped up and pierced his tongue. The stick struck an artery and our energetic young dog bled to death within twenty minutes.
We are heartbroken by the loss of River and we would like to warn other dog owners of letting their dog play with or chew on sticks. We will never get our beautiful black lab back, however, we hop that we can help others avoid the heartbreak we have suffered with the loss of our young dog.
We are urging pet shops, canine facilities, veterinarians, dog owners and others in getting the message out — dogs and stix don’t mix.
Keith and Linda Powell
