The heartbroken owners of a dog who died after eating 'poisonous' potpourri have issued a stark warning to pet lovers.
Yorkshire terrier, Alfie, munched on on the fragrant dried flowers, herbs and spices while his owners backs were turned at his home in Hawick in the Scottish Borders on Monday evening.
The tiny pup passed away around 24 hours later, leaving his owners, Kev Sykes, 35, and Kev Douglas, 48, devastated.
Grieving Kev Sykes told the Record: "We are absolutely gutted and heartbroken.
"When Alfie died I went berserk, I was uncontrollably crying.
"We had him cremated on Thursday morning, it's just been so hard."
Eleven-year-old Alfie ate from a bowl of potpourri that was a mixture of a bag from home retailer Habitat and an unbranded bag bought at a Christmas market stall.
The hairdresser added: "Alfie never usually goes anywhere near potpourri.
"But on Monday night I turned my back for five minutes then saw the stuff had spilled out onto the floor and later realised he had eaten some.
"He seemed fine at the time, but then suddenly fell ill the next day."
Panic set in on Tuesday morning when little Alfie started being violently sick, vomiting up parts of the potpourri.
Local vets administered anti-sickness injections and send the pooch home with tablets to help with acid reflux.
Kev and husband Kev, a butcher, admit their beloved pet 'seemed better' but as the evening drew in they noticed he 'wasn't moving much, seemed tired and only lifted his head when hairdresser Kev returned from work'.
Tragically, at around 8pm, Alfie passed away in front of his owners.
The bereft couple are now reeling after discovering the ingredients listed on the Habitat label (eugenol, linalool, isoeugenol and cinnamal) are 'toxic and poisonous' to dogs and are urging all retailers to carry warnings on their packaging.
Ken added: "Those ingredients are listed on the Habitat bag, but the Christmas market bag didn't even have a label.
"When we read out the Habitat ingredients to the vet, they told us they were poisonous. We were devastated.
"The label says 'avoid consumption' but it doesn't say anything about a threat to the lives of animals.
"We're speaking out now to warn other dog owners to be vigilant and keep potpourri out of reach.
"If us sharing our story can save the life of one pet, then it's worth it.
"We don't want anyone else to experience what we're going through right now."
Habitat is part of the Sainsbury's Group.
A spokesperson for Sainsbury's said: "Thank you for bringing this to our attention, we're investigating and would appreciate the opportunity to discuss with the customer."
For advice and information on what to do if you suspect your pet has been poisoned head to the Medivet website.
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