Mainer's Dog Killed By Potato Chip Bag

Emma Pierce in Gray, Maine, lost her one-and-a-half-year-old golden retriever to a bag of chips...

WGME 13 did a story about Emma's warning and tragedy in 2021.

Emma, who breeds golden retrievers, ran an errand one day and left Finley, her young sweet dog, for about 20 minutes with the other dogs, the news station reported.

WGME said that a friend checked in and found Finely with her head in a bag of chips... lifeless. She had suffocated.

Emma Pierce

Emma knew looking at Finley, she was gone but had no idea that suffocation was a problem, the news station reported.

Emma can't help but replay Finley's last moments, according to WGME, and she is trying to make sure this doesn't happen to anyone else's beloved pets.

A woman in Houston lost her dog to the same thing back in 2011 and started a non-profit group, Prevent Pet Suffocation.

How can I prevent my dog from suffocating from a bag?

Most people have never heard of this. I know I haven't.

The Mylar-type bags create a vacuum-like seal around the neck and as the dog tries to breathe, the bag tightens, cutting off oxygen.

It's not a common problem - but when it happens, it's often deadly. Pets are curious and get into things they aren't supposed to get into.

WGME reported that there are simple things you can do to prevent this: serve snacks in a bowl and store in plastic containers, cut up the bags, and make sure trash is secure.

Emma Pierce

But Emma also wants you to know that crate training or keeping pets in a safe space at home if we can't 100% trust them, is super important.

She regrets that at 1.5 years old, she thought Finely was ready to be outside the grate when home alone, even though she occasionally got into things, WGME said.

She honestly thought at the time, that that was just normal puppy stuff. When in reality, she wasn't ready.

The news station said that she wants more education for both suffocation and crate training.

Love your furry family members and do all you can to keep them safe.

LOOK: Here Are 30 Foods That Are Poisonous to Dogs

To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

Gallery Credit: Rachel Cavanaugh