A Bala puppy has died after swallowing a teething toy bought on Amazon, the dog’s owners have claimed.

Seven-week-old Miss Red Collar was rushed to the vets after chewing on the product. An operation was carried out to remove the toy from the pup’s stomach but the dog could not be saved. Two other puppies had symptoms and needed operations. They survived.

Steven Pooley, 58, and partner Gulin Milne, 52, say they feel “dreadful” following the death and must pay around £4,000 for the surgery and checking of the other dogs. Steven said: “It’s absolutely dreadful. I’m utterly devastated. We had been raising these puppies for nearly eight weeks, in our home and all around us. We became very attached to them. We’ve loved and nurtured them through every moment of each day. This is absolutely horrible.

“I just want to warn others so they don’t buy them and put their pets at risk. It’s the green bone and the pink heart that broke apart. The toys weren’t chew proof at all. The puppies bit them into pieces and ingested them. There were no bits lying around so we just thought the toys were lost.”

Steven and Gulin, from Bala, helped their Alaskan malamutes Nala, two, and Bryn, six, raise 10 pups. They gave the dogs a pack of chew toys on 10 February. Two went missing and Steven noticed Miss Red Collar did not eat lunch or dinner on 11 February. She was sick six times and the last bout smelled of faeces. After Googling he suspected a blockage in her gut and rushed her to the vet. Although they removed four lumps of rubber from her intestine and rehydrated her the dog died. A second pup, Mr Grey Collar, got sick and had an operation on 16 February 16. A third, Mr Brown Collar, went under the knife on 18 February. Both survived, and all the other puppies were checked over.

Steven said: “I’m just so horrified these toys broke apart like that. We never imagined the puppy teething toys could cause this harm. I could hardly believe it. We’d already found a home for this puppy and we had to phone and tell them - it was absolutely heartbreaking.”

Steven phoned and emailed Amazon who said they were sorry and would investigate. Amazon said: “Customer safety is a top priority and we require all products offered in our store to comply with applicable laws, regulations and Amazon policies. We ensure our selection meets industry-accepted standards, and we develop innovative tools to prevent unsafe products from being listed. The product in question has been removed while we investigate.”