Cockapoo barely survives brush with death after eating chocolate Easter bunny
Bailey, a cockapoo belonging to the Burke family of Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, is taking it easy this Easter after a brush with death turned last year’s celebrations into a living nightmare.
Cockapoo barely survives brush with death after eating chocolate Easter bunny
Bailey, a cockapoo belonging to the Burke family of Strathaven, South Lanarkshire, is taking it easy this Easter after a brush with death turned last year’s celebrations into a living nightmare.
The usually energetic, curious and affectionate dog – often described as ‘velcro dog’ for his clingy, cuddly nature – was just one victim of a 30% rise in dog chocolate poisonings reported to pet insurer, Agria, during March and April 2025.
Owner and Chief Operating Officer for a ferry service, Diane Burke, is now keen to urge all dog owners to have ‘super vigilance’ when it comes to keeping chocolate out of reach of pets this Easter.
The chocolate bunny that started it all
In preparation for Easter 2025, a huge dark chocolate Gold Bunny arrived in the Burke household. Knowing the dangers chocolate poses to dogs, the family hid the classic treat somewhere they thought was out of reach for their boisterous four-year-old cockapoo, Bailey. But disaster still struck.
On Easter Monday, as Diane made her morning coffee, she discovered a familiar red collar, bell, and trail of golden foil on the floor. She frantically searched for the chocolate bunny, but it was gone.
The deadly symptoms of chocolate poisoning
After his stolen snack, Bailey was panting, restless, and not at all up for his normal morning cuddle on Diane’s lap. He was also drinking insatiably.
Diane’s quick-thinking spurred her into action, taking Bailey on a potentially life-saving trip to the local emergency vet.
The vet found Bailey’s heart rate dangerously elevated and administered an emetic to make him throw up the chocolate. He was kept in overnight for observation, but a couple of hours later Diane received an alarming call to meet the team at the Veterinary Hospital in nearby Glasgow, where Bailey was heading for more specialised care.
A critical 12 hours
The Burke family were desperately worried and tearful as they pulled up at the veterinary hospital right behind the veterinary team with Bailey, who was already prepped with a cannula in his foreleg.
The next 12 hours would be critical. Bailey was given meds and placed on a drip, and it was a waiting game from there.
The road to recovery
Thankfully, by that evening Bailey’s heart rate was finally coming down and his condition was stabilising. By morning, he was showing signs of recovery, and after just one more night in hospital, Diane was able to collect Bailey so he could continue his recovery at home.
“His separation anxiety was so bad the vet felt being peaceful at home would aid a quicker recovery,” said Diane. “He slept immediately, he was so exhausted, but by Friday he was fully recovered and ready to go again.”
You can never be too careful
Diane added, “I grew up with dogs. We were always super vigilant about chicken bones after an incident where our dog perforated their gut – so I knew the dangers of dogs getting their snouts into foods they shouldn’t.
“We thought the chocolate was safe behind a closed door, but Bailey must have been prowling around at night and managed to open it. Hindsight is the best sight – and we certainly won’t be making the same mistake twice.”
Diane isn’t the only owner in the know to make this mistake. According to recent Agria data, 99.3% of owners know that chocolate is toxic for dogs, and 87.9% know that dark chocolate is the most toxic. Despite this, the insurer still saw a 30% increase in reports of canine chocolate poisoning between March and April 2025, proving that accidents can always happen – especially around Easter.
Fortunately, Bailey has Agria’s Lifetime Insurance, which the Burke family invested in after the expiration of the Agria 5 Weeks Free Breeder policy he had when he joined their home as a puppy.
“I’ve always found Agria easy to deal with and very reassuring,” said Diane. “It’s good to have an insurance partner like that, and the process was easy. The team at Agria were brilliant – with our vet, our insurers and the hospital – it felt like a virtual pair of arms around us in the hardest time!
“We are delighted that Bailey is still with us, sitting on my lap while I have my morning coffee. He’s still as crazy as ever – and as greedy – although this Easter will be chocolate bunny-free!”
[Condensed version:]
Bailey, a five-year-old cockapoo belonging to the Burke family, is taking things easy this Easter after narrowly escaping with his life last year.
The usually energetic and affectionate dog was just one victim of a 30% rise in dog chocolate poisonings reported to pet insurer, Agria during March and April 2025.
Bailey’s owner, Diane Burke, is now urging others to be extra vigilant about keeping chocolate out of reach of dogs.
The incident began when the family brought home a large dark chocolate Easter bunny and placed it in a cupboard. On Easter Monday morning, the chocolate bunny had vanished, and Bailey began panting, acting restlessness and showing excessive thirst.
Diane rushed Bailey to the emergency vet, where his heart rate was found to be dangerously high. The vet induced vomiting before transferring him to a specialist veterinary hospital. The following 12 hours were critical, but thankfully, by that evening his heart rate had begun to stabilise, and after another night in hospital, Bailey was able to return home.
For Diane, the experience was a frightening reminder that accidents can happen even when owners know the risks: “We knew chocolate is dangerous to dogs, but we thought it was safe behind a closed door. Bailey must have been prowling around at night and managed to open it. We certainly won’t be making the same mistake twice.”
According to recent Agria data, 99.3% of owners know that chocolate is toxic for dogs. Despite this, the insurer still saw a 30% increase in reports of canine chocolate poisoning between March and April 2025, proving that accidents can happen – especially around Easter.
Diane hopes Bailey’s story will encourage others to take extra care this Easter, and is thankful that Bailey’s Agria Lifetime Insurance was in place to get the family through the nightmare: “The team at Agria were brilliant – it felt like a virtual pair of arms around us in the hardest time!”
Commentary from Lars:
Lars Mortensen, Head Veterinarian at Agria App said:
“The risk of dogs consuming a toxic amount of chocolate is naturally heightened at Easter, when we keep so many treats around. Owners should take extra care to ensure all toxic chocolate and sweets are out of the reach of their pets.
“Bailey’s story proves that a simple cupboard door isn’t enough to protect clever pets from their own curiosity. Instead, chocolate should be kept high off the ground, either in elevated cupboards that can’t even be reached with a leap, or even in the fridge.
“Chocolate eggs and bunnies are one of the most fun parts of Easter, but it’s vital that everyone in the household – including any visitors – understands how toxic these seasonal treats can be for dogs. These conversations are especially important to have with children, who may innocently want to ‘share’ their treats with the family pet or accidentally drop them on the floor.
“The same goes for Easter egg hunts. If you’re planning to hide chocolate eggs and send children scavenging, keep dogs secured during the activity and make sure all chocolate is found and moved to safety before they’re released.”
