Pet owner issues urgent warning after her beloved service dog suffocates on fetch

A dog owner was heartbroken after a game of fetch killed her beloved service dog when he choked to death on a tennis ball.

She has now issued an urgent warning to anyone with playful pets, stressing that the all-too-common toys can be dangerous and even deadly.

Emma Meen was devastated when a dog-walking friend called to tell her that Toby, a fawn labrador, had collapsed after swallowing the ball earlier this month.

The 47-year-old mother of three from Cambridge made desperate efforts to save her precious pup while performing CPR for 20 minutes, but it was too late.

The grieving parent, who suffers from inflammatory arthritis, relied on Toby to help her with tasks she finds challenging — including picking things up off the floor and emptying the washing machine — and has now thrown out all the tennis balls.

“She threw the tennis balls like she always does because they like to chase tennis balls,” Emma explained, recalling the tragic event.

“He had one in his mouth. She tossed another, he went to fetch it and shoved the one that was in his mouth down his throat.

“He ran around in a panic, he finally collapsed and she managed to get the ball out of his throat.”

The pet’s owner revealed that she initially thought her friend was “joking” when she got the call.

“Sounds stupid, but she said he was lying, and I thought she meant he was lying,” Emma admitted.

“When she said she took out the tennis ball, I panicked. All the way there I yelled, ‘Not Toby, not Toby.’

When she found him lying on the floor, Emma started CPR and called her vet, who said ‘just keep going’.

“I was doing CPR and saw him go as I was doing it,” she said. “It was so hard; 20 minutes later there were still no signs of life.’

The grieving parent, who suffers from inflammatory arthritis, relied on Toby to help her with tasks she finds difficult

The mother of three, 47, from Cambridge made desperate attempts to save her precious pup while doing CPR for 20 minutes, but it was too late

Emma has thrown away all the tennis balls. Now she wants to make people aware of the possible choking hazard of dog toys

The grieving owner praised his loving nature and called him “the best dog she ever had.” The family is still dealing with the loss

Toby helped Emma pick up things from the floor and even helped empty the washing machine and take clothes to the tumble dryer

Now the mom — who also has a 16-year-old boxer-staffie cross named Cleo and a nine-year-old collie-terrier cross named Bosh — wants to raise awareness about the potential choking hazards.

“We’ve thrown out all our tennis balls now,” she said.

“I see posts on Facebook where people say ‘oh we’re out with the ball today’ and I just think ‘no, don’t’.

‘Balls with holes in the middle prevent them from suffocating, they have quite large holes in them so that they can breathe easily.

“Make sure it’s something they can breathe in if they swallow it.” Rope toys get all tangled up – they breathe in the knot and can’t breathe.

“I want people to learn about the dangers of balls. If we’d known, it wouldn’t have happened and he’d still be here.’

Emma also has a nine-year-old collie-terrier mix named Bosh (pictured right, next to the late Toby)

Toby and Bosh pictured with a tennis ball. Emma says if they used a safer option Toby would still be alive

Emma took Toby to the crematorium and scattered his ashes in the garden where he ‘liked to play’

Emma has thrown away all the tennis balls and emphasizes that balls with holes in the middle are a better alternative

TThe dog owner felt like her “whole world had come to an end” when she realized it was too late.

“He was so good with me and so hardworking,” she said. “He was like a child.”

Toby helped Emma clear things off the floor and even helped empty the washing machine and take clothes to the tumble dryer.

The grieving owner praised his loving nature and called him “the best dog she ever had.”

Emma took him to the crematorium and scattered his ashes in the garden where he ‘liked to play’.

“The other dogs have been up there and sniffed the area. I think they still recognize his scent,” she continued.

The family is still dealing with the loss of their Toby.

“We’re looking at the windows where he used to look out, and he’s not there,” Emma admitted.

“We changed the bedding and it’s like, ‘this is the last time he slept on the bed.’

“Even if he eats a little cheese, it’s like ‘this is the last thing he ate before he died.'”