One of the Pups Got Into Trouble...

All of my Pups have slept in crates and travelled in crates, too.  They actually run to their bed at night after our last trip outside.  They are eager to get into their beds.  Over the years, I'd attempted to get them to sleep with me in bed...but they weren't having any part of that.

Quite a number of years ago, I changed from the black metal crates and went to a soft-side crate.  It certainly had to be more comfortable for the Pups...being soft.  They didn't skip a beat when I made the change either.  

This was in the listing for the sof-krate...This indoor/outdoor soft-crate sets up in seconds is easy to carry and goes anywhere you go. It is a stylish lightweight washable durable and well ventilated spring/summer pet house. It has top front and side entry doors constructed with extra strong steel frame heavy duty zippers with door lock ventilated mesh panels and durable water resistant base.

Out of all 4 of my Pups none of them ever chewed something they shouldn't, so I didn't worry about the fabric or even the mesh panels [or screens].  My Pups would get anxious when I'd get out of the car to get the mail and things like that...and they would scratch at the mesh screen, but outside of a "snag", that's all they ever did to the crate.

Well, imagine my SHOCK when I walked into the closet where they sleep and went to uncover their crates, they each have one, and found Angel, my youngest, with her head hanging out of the screen!  When I tried to get her head back inside the crate, that's when I found out how tightly she was wedged in there.  I had no idea how long she was wedged in there, but I was scared.  I grabbed a pair of wire cutters and was able to clip the opening a bit bigger and push her head into the crate.  I quickly unzipped the door and got her out.  You could tell by the way her hair around her neck was flattened that she'd been in there for a whle.  My goodness, she could have died.  She could have hung herself in there.  The way she had her head stuck, she was unable to sit decently and couldn't  lay down.  I was never so happy to see that she was OK.  I immediately cut up all of the soft side crates - had them for quite a while and threw them out in the garbage.  I cut them, so no one who may see them, would take them and possibly have a dog die in them.  We've now gone back to black metal cages.

So, if any of you have soft side crates, be very careful.  I know I will NEVER, EVER have a soft-side in my house and around my Pups again.