A mother has spoken of the terrifying moment her dog was nearly choked to death by its own collar.

Sophie Coleman, of Mansfield Drive, Iwade, was walking her Jack Russells, Milly and Mitzy, in nearby Woodpecker Park when the freak accident happened.

With both dogs off the lead and seemingly playing happily, the 42-year-old turned to see the pair had become horribly entwined.

The mum-of-two said: "They usually come straight away when I call them, but I looked back and saw Milly had Mitzy's collar wrapped right around her lower jaw.

"I don't know how it happened, she must have gone to grab Mitzy's collar and then they somehow flipped over –they were both stuck rigid.

"I couldn't undo the buckle to the collar, it was being pulled too tight to her neck – if I'd have tried too hard it would've killed Mitzy."

Mrs Coleman picked up the entangled dogs and ran to a nearby house for help.

She said: "There was a van outside the house, so I thought there was a chance someone might be in.

"I couldn't undo the buckle to the collar, it was being pulled too tight to her neck – if I'd have tried too hard it would've killed Mitzy..." - Sophie Coleman

"I was probably a bit hysterical at the time, I remember saying, 'Please don't let her die', as I ran up the drive.

"There was blood coming from Mitzy's nose where she couldn't breathe.

"She was looking at me so pathetically for help, then her eyes started to go – it was heartbreaking."

Luckily, the householder - who Mrs Coleman named as Peter Oliver - emerged from the property as she approached. He raced to the van and produced a pair of scissors.

"He was afraid of stabbing the dog while trying to cut the collar," Mrs Coleman said.

"But he was so good, so calm, and managed to release Mitzy who then started to come to.

"He and the lady who was with him were so kind, I can't thank them enough.

"They could see what state I was in, and even though I'd never met them before, they wanted to help straight away.

"They saved my dog's life."

With the dogs freed from each other, Mitzy was hurried to a nearby vets and given anti-inflammatory tablets.

Mrs Coleman said the two-year-old was "shaken up, but fine" following the ordeal.

She now wants to alert other pet owners to the potential dangers of buckle collars.

She said: "When dogs get caught up like this, you can't release them unless you cut the collar off.

"I know it's a freak thing, but it can happen. We stopped using clip collars because they were too easy to slip out of and we kept losing them.

"But we'll be going back to them again. I'd rather lose a collar, than lose my dog."