HEARTBROKEN
Owners devastated after dog eats Xmas pot pourri and dies
THE heartbroken owners of a dog that died after eating pot pourri have shared their story in a bid to save other pets.
Yorkshire terrier Alfie ate the mix of fragrant dried flowers, herbs and spices while his owners’ backs were turned at their home in Hawick in the Borders on Monday.
The tiny pup passed away 24 hours later, leaving Kev Sykes, 35, and Kev Douglas, 48, devastated.
Kev Sykes said: “We are absolutely gutted and heartbroken. When Alfie died I went berserk, I was uncontrollably crying.
“We had him cremated on Thursday morning, it’s just been so hard.”
Eleven-year-old Alfie ate from a bowl of pot pourri that was a mixture of a bag from home retailer Habitat and an unbranded bag bought at a Christmas market stall.
The hairdresser added: “Alfie never usually goes anywhere near pot pourri.
“But on Monday night I turned my back for five minutes then saw the stuff had spilled out on to the floor and later realised he had eaten some. He seemed fine at the time, but then suddenly fell ill the next day.”
Panic set in on Tuesday morning when little Alfie started being violently sick, vomiting up parts of the pot pourri.
Vets gave him anti-sickness injections and send the pooch home with tablets to help with acid reflux.
Kev and husband Kev Douglas, a butcher, said their pet “seemed better” but later noticed he “wasn’t moving much, and seemed tired”.
Tragically, at around 8pm, Alfie passed away in front of his owners.
The couple say the items listed on the Habitat label are “toxic and poisonous” to dogs and are urging all retailers to carry warnings on their packaging.
Ken added: “Those ingredients are listed on the Habitat bag, but the Christmas market bag didn’t even have a label.
“When we read out the ingredients to the vet, they told us they were poisonous. We were devastated. We’re speaking out now to warn other dog owners to keep potpourri out of reach.”
The Daily Record have contacted Habitat for comment.