Years ago, while living out in the country in Oregon, I was not as dog wise as I am now. On my back deck appeared a black medium sized dog. He came to live with us. I did not get him a new collar right away because he had a choke chain on. He was staying on our deck on those mild summer days. A few days after coming to stay with us, I began scratching our new arrival on the head. I realized his choke chain was a bit tight. Unable to move it very well, I got concerned that maybe I couldn't get it off. Finding a wire cutter, I worked on it for some time. Finally getting it apart I was sickened to realize it was embedded in his neck. Carefully soaking it with water and then hydrogen peroxide and with the help of my son, I was able to remove the disgusting choke chain with flesh clinging to it. It took many days to start healing up but eventually it closed and hair grew over it in some areas. He was a nice, sweet and lovable little guy, but escaped frequently, a wanderer from the start. He would return with porcupine quills in his face, nose and tongue on several occasions. I seemed to always be doctoring this boy. After more than a year with us, he escaped again, running down to the creek behind our house with the next door neighbor's dog. They came home later, but our little boy, that we had named Kimo, became very ill and died shortly after. The next day my neighbor said their dog had died too. The vet said they had both eaten dead fish off the bank of the creek, poisoning themselves.

We have to tell everyone we see like this. Do not let your dog roam. Cars and rotten fish, anything can kill them. And choke chains can cause death by strangulation and horrendous injuries by people who let their pups grow with a metal choke vise around their necks.

Wish I had known then what I know now. And that nice lab pup, hope he gets lost again soon and finds you.