My dog choked to death playing fetch — here’s what I wish I knew

A British woman says her beloved service dog choked to death on a tennis ball during a game of fetch this month — now she’s warning others about the dangers of pet toys.

Emma Meen, 47, was horrified when her friend called to tell her that her beloved fox red Labrador Toby had collapsed after swallowing a tennis ball on May 11.

“She threw the tennis balls like she always does, because they love chasing tennis balls,” Meen told Kennedy News.

“He had one in his mouth. She threw another one, he went to get it and pushed the one that was in his mouth down his throat.”

According to Meen, her dog was “running around in a panic,” and the friend was only able to get the tennis ball out once he had collapsed.

Emma Meen claimed that her dog choked to death during a game of fetch. — Emma Meen claims her service dog choked to death during a game of fetch.

Her dog, Toby, was playing with a tennis ball when it got lodged in his throat. — Toby, a fox red Labrador, was playing with a tennis ball when it got lodged in his throat.

Meen said that she performed CPR on the dog for 20 minutes, but was unable to revive him. — Meen said she performed CPR on the dog for 20 minutes, but was unable to revive him.

“I thought she was joking,” Meen admitted. “It sounds stupid, but she said he was down, and I thought she meant he was lying down.”

No more than 10 minutes after the call, Meen arrived to the field where the friend and Toby had been been playing.

She gave him CPR for 20 minutes and also called her vet for advice — but ultimately, she wasn’t able to save him.

Meen has inflammatory arthritis, so Toby helped with challenging chores, like picking things up from the floor and emptying the washing machine.

“It was devastating,” Meen shared. “It was like my whole world had come to an end, because he was so good with me and so hardworking. He was like a child.”

"He had one in his mouth. She threw another one, he went to get it and pushed the one that was in his mouth down his throat," Meen said, according to Kennedy News. — “He had one in his mouth. She threw another one, he went to get it and pushed the one that was in his mouth down his throat,” Meen told Kennedy News.

Toby was Meen's service dog. — Meen has inflammatory arthritis, so Toby helped with challenging chores.

At first, Meen thought that her friend was joking about Toby. — At first, Meen thought her friend was joking about Toby.

She described him as the “best dog.”

In light of this terrible tragedy, she is urging pet owners to swap tennis balls for balls with holes in them, in an attempt to reduce the risk of choking.

“Make sure it’s something that they can breathe if they swallow it,” Meen said.

She also warns against rope toys, as they can become knotted, and animals can inhale the knot.

Meen wants to warn other pet owners about the dangers of tennis balls. — Meen is warning other pet owners about the dangers of tennis balls.

"Balls with holes in the middle prevent them from choking, they have quite big holes in them so they can breathe still," Meen said. — “Balls with holes in the middle prevent them from choking. They have quite big holes in them so they can breathe still,” Meen said.

“I want people to know the dangers of balls,” she said. “If we’d have known, it wouldn’t have happened, and he would still be here.”

Meen also has a 16-year-old boxer-staffie cross, Cleo, and a 9-year-old collie-terrier cross, Bosh.

She said she has thrown away all of the tennis balls in her house, and she still misses Toby every day.

“We look at the windows where he used to look out, and he’s not there,” Meen said. “We changed the bedding, and it’s like, ‘This is the last time he slept on the bed.’”

“Even down to eating a bit of cheese, it’s like, ‘This is the last thing he ate before he died,’” she added.

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