Hotel Chocolat has bitterly divided animal lovers after it donated chocolate treats to a vet for dogs about to be put down.
The Vets for Pets clinic in Anlaby, Hull, posted about the “kind” gift on its Facebook page along with a photo of the treats on Sunday.
The local branch of the luxury bakery gave the vets a bag with some of their premium white, milk and dark chocolate selections.
Chocolate is very toxic and can poison dogs, depending on the level of cocoa content.
Dogs can vomit, have diarrhea, heart problems, tremors, seizures, hyperactivity, and die in severe cases if they ingest chocolate, according to Blue Cross.
The Vets for Pets clinic in Anlaby, Hull, posted about the “kind” gift on its Facebook page along with a photo of the treats on Sunday.
Hotel Chocolat put into practice its white chocolate and raspberry batons, chocolate selector with pistachio, lemon meringue, tiramisu and white chocolate custard cake.
But there was also a picture of a glass jar that said, “Sweet dreams.” Kindly donated by Hotel Chocolat Anlaby’.
It contained several other milk and dark chocolates from the brand, such as the Neapolitan Macaron.
The higher the cocoa content, the more dangerous it is for puppies, as it has a higher percentage of cocoa that contains theobromine, the chemical toxic to canines.
Blue Cross urges pet owners to “seek urgent veterinary help” if their dog has eaten dark chocolate.
Vets for Pets’ post said it was offering the toxic ingredient to animals “because no dog should go to heaven without trying chocolate.”
He continued: “Our goodbye kiss jars have been kindly donated by Hotel Chocolat Anlaby and are reserved for our euthanasia appointments.”
The post racked up more than 3,000 reactions on Facebook, with pet owners commenting on their thoughts on the image.
The post racked up more than 3,000 reactions on Facebook, with pet owners commenting on their thoughts on the image.
One wrote: ‘I’m really confused why people support this. I’m sorry but this is absolutely ridiculous and irresponsible.
‘Chocolate is toxic to dogs. This is not a kind way to say goodbye to your dog, it is completely selfish.
‘Just because we think chocolate tastes good doesn’t mean dogs do and, as I said before, it’s toxic… but you know all this, right?!¬
“This doesn’t make sense, the best thing you can do is be by their side in the end, like they have been with you all their lives.”
Another wrote: ‘Sorry but this is fucked up.’ Ooh are you dying? There is poison here, no normal person has ever said.
A third said: “Sorry if I’m being stupid.” If chocolate is bad for them, doesn’t it make them feel bad? Or do they have it just before it’s time to say goodbye? That’s the worst part about pets.
A fourth commented: “My Izzy had a whole Lindor bunny before I said goodbye, still can’t face them.”
However, others thought the practice idea was good.
One person said: “This made me cry, what a beautiful idea.”
Dr. Nicole, from Melbourne, Australia, is a veterinarian and owner of Shy Tiger, a pet care company.
Last year, she took to TikTok to explain that different types of chocolates could have different impacts on a dog’s health.
She said: “Your dog will likely be given a medicine called apomorphine, either into the vein, under the skin or by putting a small tablet in the eye.”
“This will make your dog vomit normally in about five minutes.
“It’s a very quick action, it gets all the chocolate out of their system and then depending on how much time has passed from when they ate the chocolate to when they vomited, it depends on the next step and also how much they have drunk.
‘Sometimes they prescribe a special charcoal-type medicine to absorb what’s left. Other times you may need blood work, drips, monitoring, things like that.
‘But the main thing I want them to learn is that some types of chocolate are more toxic than others.
“And try to find out how much your dog has drunk, so we can help the vets take care of your pet.”
Hotel Chocolat and Vets4Pets Anlaby have been contacted for comment.