Hotel Chocolat has bitterly divided animal lovers after it donated chocolate treats to a vet practice for dogs who are about to be put down.
The Vets for Pets clinic in Anlaby, Hull, posted about the ‘kind’ gift on their Facebook page along with a picture of the treats on Sunday.
The local branch of the luxury confectioner gave the vets a bag of some of their white, milk and dark chocolate premium selections.
Chocolate is highly toxic and can poison dogs, depending on the level of cocoa content.
Dogs can vomit, have diarrhoea, heart problems, tremors, seizures or fits, hyperactivity and die in severe cases if they ingest chocolate, according to the Blue Cross.
The Vets for Pets clinic in Anlaby, Hull , posted about the ‘kind’ gift on their Facebook page along with a picture of the treats on Sunday
Hotel Chocolat gave the practice their white chocolate raspberry batons, pistachio chocolate selector, lemon meringue, tiramisu, and white chocolate custard tart items.
But there was also a picture of a glass jar which read: ‘Sweet dreams. Kindly donated by Hotel Chocolat Anlaby’.
It contained various other milk and dark chocolates from the brand, such as the Neapolitan Macaron.
The higher the cocoa content, the more dangerous it is for pups, as it has a higher percentage of cocoa which contains theobromine, the chemical that is toxic for canines.
Blue Cross urges pet owners to ‘seek urgent vet help’ if their dog has eaten dark chocolate.
Vets for Pets’s post said it was offering the toxic ingredient to animals ‘because no dog should go to heaven without tasting chocolate’.
It continued: ‘Our goodbye kisses jars have kindly been 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 their thoughts on the picture.
The post racked up more than 3,000 reactions on Facebook, with pet owners commenting their thoughts on the picture
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’s completely selfish.
‘Just because we think chocolate tastes nice, doesn’t mean dogs will and like I said earlier, It’s toxic… but you already know all this, don’t you?!¬
‘This is just pointless, the best thing you can do is be there by their side at the end like they’ve been for you throughout their lives.’
Another penned: ‘Sorry but this is f***ed up. Oooh are you dying? Here’s some poison, said no normal person ever.’
A third said: ‘Sorry if I’m being stupid. If chocolate is bad for them, doesn’t this make them feel ill? Or do they have this not long 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’s idea was sweet.
One person said: ‘This made me cry, what a lovely idea.’
Dr Nicole, from Melbourne, Australia, is a vet who owns Shy Tiger – a pet care company.
Last year, she took to TikTok to explain that different types of chocolates could have varying impacts on a dog’s health.
She said: ‘They’re likely to give your dog a drug called apomorphine, either into the vein, under the skin, or put a little tablet in their eye.
‘That will make your dog vomit usually within about five minutes.
‘It’s really quick acting, get all the chocolate out of their system and then, depending on how long it’s been from when they ate the chocolate to the vomiting, depend on the next step and also how much they’ve had.
‘Sometimes they put you on a special charcoal type medication to absorb what’s left. Other times you may need a blood test, drips, monitoring, things like that.
‘But the main thing I want you guys to learn is that some types of chocolate are more toxic than others.
‘And to try and figure out how much your dog has had, so you can help the vets look after your pet.’
A Vets for Pets spokesperson said: ‘Chocolate is highly toxic to dogs, and feeding it as a treat is something we would never recommend or advocate.
‘That said, saying goodbye to a pet is one of the most heartbreaking decisions to make as an owner.
‘Bringing end of life dogs and their owners a small amount of joy in their pets’ final moments is the only time we would allow this to occur, and only with the full support of their owner.
‘Should a pet owner make this request during an end-of-life appointment, any ‘final treat’ is given at the very last moment so there is no time for adverse reactions’.
Hotel Chocolat has been contacted for comment.