Healthy Dog Dies Just Hours After Exposure to a Common Flower

A dog mom is devastated after her dog died after he was exposed to tulips at a tulip festival at Farmer Copleys in West Yorkshire, U.K.

In an interview with the BBC posted to TikTok, dog mom Jemma Ladwitch told the outlet that they decided to visit the local tulip festival with their three-year-old Springer Spaniel, Bobby, to get some "nice pictures" together.

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"My dog was happy and healthy. Three hours later, he died." #Yorkshire#Pets#Dogs#DogTok#PetTok#TulipFestival#BBCNews

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"On the journey home, Bobby started breathing erratically," Ladwitch explained. "And as I opened the [back door], he usually dashes out to get into the house, and he didn't. He lay there and was drooling. He was limp."

Ladwitch then took Bobby to the vet, and they asked her "where we'd been, and we said that we'd been to the tulip festival, and she did say that tulips are highly toxic to dogs."

Unfortunately, Bobby died from the exposure and left his mom absolutely devastated. "He had no illnesses, no health issues," Ladwitch confirmed. "He was just gone within three hours."

"I don't want any dog owners to take that risk again," she continued. "It's just so quiet in the house. It doesn't feel like home [without Bobby] anymore."

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After Bobby's death, Farmer Copley also confirmed that they've been in touch with Ladwitch and decided to ban pets from the festival to prevent further issues with other pets.

"The safety and well-being of all our visitors and their pets is something we take extremely seriously," Farmer Copleys said in a statement to the BBC. "As a precautionary measure, we have made the difficult decision to no longer permit dogs at our tulip festival for the remainder of the season."

They added, "We must stress that while the exact cause of this incident remains unknown, many flowers and plants in outdoor environments can pose risks to dogs if ingested, particularly the bulb, and we do not wish to take any further risk."

How Toxic Plants Can Harm Dogs Within Hours

According to PetMD, plant toxicity in dogs can occur from ingestion or exposure to specific plants.

While many plants are safe for dogs, others can cause varying levels of toxicity. Some of the diarrhea, other serious complications can lead to major issues with the heart, liver, nervous system, and kidneys.

Along with tulips, other plants toxic to dogs include Daffodils and jonquils, Calla Lilies, Chrysanthemums, hyacinths, and daisies.

It's important to identify the symptoms of plant toxicity early so you can treat your pet quickly. PetMD recommends contacting your vet right away or the Pet Poison Control hotline and monitoring for other life-threatening symptoms that may develop.

Related: 40+ Foods That Are Poisonous or Unhealthy for Dogs and Cats

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This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 1:04 PM.