Vet warns dog owners of collar choking risk

Amir Anwary with his dog Nala.

A South African vet who lived every dog owner’s worst nightmare has spoken out about the risk of dog collars for man’s best friend.

Amir Anwary took to TikTok to share details of the death of his dog Nala, telling followers: “I’ve never been able to speak about it because I get so emotional every single time.

“I’ll never forget that day. It’s one of those things you never ever think is going to happen to you... until it does.”

Anwary said he decided to speak out after seeing discourse online on the risks posed by dog collars and and wanted to share his own experience to warn others.

He said the incident occurred last year, on the first time he went out for a run without his phone.

After his exercise, he returned to a phone full of missed calls and messages alerting him to a problem with his dogs, who were home alone.

He rushed home to find a large group crowded outside.

“I then saw my dogs in the corner of the yard. One was sort of hanging and the other one had its mouth close to her neck,” Anwary said.

Some of his neighbours said he should be careful because they thought his dogs had been fighting, but he said he knew better and hopped the fence to see what was going on.

“All I see is my dog with his mouth next to my other dog’s neck, so I got closer and what I saw was insane,” Anwary added.

“[I saw] the collar around my one dog’s neck, who at this point was dead, as she had suffocated.”

He said the collar was so tight it needed to be cut off, revealing how the incident happened.

He said the two dogs were playfighting and his other dog’s lower jaw got caught under the collar, twisting it as it struggled to free itself.

Unfortunately, there was nothing he could do, warning other owners of the risks.

“If they like biting each other’s collars, loosen the collars,” he said, adding: “If you leave your dogs at home, take their collars off.”