Beware of the Potential Dangers of Paper Shredders
By Ellen Lutz

I’m not sure that our story is heart-warming or wonderful but I think it is one that needs to be told.  “I never would have thought. . .”  I can’t tell you how many times I have heard or read those words since we lost our dog Striker. I want people to hear his story so that no one has to ever utter those words that no pet has to suffer the way he did.

Striker was born in Mattituck, Long Island, New York on May 12, 2006. He was a Rhumbline Retriever of good stock, great lines and a great breeder. He was our first puppy in 15 years (having lost our older Lab, Smudge, in 2005 and our rescued Rottie, Zeus, in 2006—just 10 days before Striker’s birth).  We were thrilled to bring him home. We did all the things we could to puppy-proof the house, especially since Striker grew to be a highly inquisitive boy.

In December, 2006 I was in our home office going through some mail. In the next instant our lives turned upside down as Striker suddenly licked the paper shredder, causing the mechanism to start and his tongue to be caught in it. I immediately pulled the plug and tried desperately to release him from the machine but I couldn’t hold him and the heavy machine at the same time. His screaming suddenly stopped as he pulled himself free by pulling his tongue out himself.

I tried in vain to reach our veterinarian, my husband and finally my daughter. We carefully loaded Striker into her truck and raced to the emergency veterinary clinic, only seven miles away. It was the longest seven miles I have ever experienced. When we arrived, we were told that if he survived, he would live a compromised life—unable to pant efficiently, eating only soft foods and learning to drink and swallow in a different way. We couldn’t imagine this energetic boy, who lived to run and retrieve, being deprived of the quality of life he deserved. And we were pretty certain that he would not have survived the hour drive to another emergency center where surgery would be attempted. Although we loved him with all our beings, we made the difficult decision to euthanize him.

We went home to grieve our loss and that would have been the end of our story if not for a call the next day from the staff at the emergency veterinary clinic. They were devastated by Striker’s accident and asked if we were going to tell his story. And so a special awareness campaign on paper shredder safety was born.

I started with informational posters which I distributed to local veterinarians, shelters and pet stores. Then Striker’s story appeared in a column of the Long Island Newsday and suddenly I was being contacted by people from all over this country and on several other continents as well. The response has been overwhelming and I am grateful for being able to reach so many people. And yet, I find that there are still so many who still don’t know. I continue to spread the word about the potential danger of shredders every chance I get. In this way I know that Striker’s short time with us was not in vain and his memory will live on.

For more information on Ellen Lutz’ paper shredder safety campaign, contact her at: strikerluv@yahoo.com