Cockapoo barely survives brush with death after eating chocolate Easter bunny

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.

Cockapoo barely survives brush with death after eating chocolate Easter bunny

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!”

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.”