A meticulously groomed prize poodle, destined to compete at the prestigious Crufts dog show, accidentally set its carefully styled hair on fire just three days before the competition. The incident occurred as the curious canine was rooting around near a lit candle in its owners' living room.
The Fiery Mishap
Phillip, a fourteen-month-old poodle, was captured on camera as his voluminous poof of hair ignited in a sudden puff of smoke, horrifying his owners, Nakita O'Hare Wilson, 35, and her husband Kenneth O'Hare Wilson, 38. The professional dog breeder Nakita later reflected, "It was scary looking back on it now." Remarkably, despite the singed hairdo, Phillip went on to secure second place in his category at Crufts the following Saturday.
A Close Call with the Candle
The pup had been "looking for food" on the coffee table while Kenneth relaxed on the sofa watching television. As the four-legged friend ventured further onto the table, he investigated a glowing potted candle, sniffing closely. Initially, Phillip instinctively moved his head away, but soon disregarded the danger and continued sniffing.
Disaster struck when Phillip's beautiful white mane caught alight near his right ear. The puppy, unaware of the severity, initially moved his head back and observed the growing flames with mild curiosity rather than alarm. A shocked Kenneth urgently sprang into action, shouting, "He's on fire! He's on fire!" as he rushed to extinguish the flames.
Quick Action and Recovery
Kenneth managed to brush the flames away with his hand, prompting Phillip to dart to the other side of the room along the sofa, now somewhat aware of what had transpired. Nakita, who jumped up from behind an open door, recalled, "Kenneth completely panicked and by the time I came in, it was hard to tell what happened. But I think the smell of burning and my husband's reaction gave me a hint that it was not good. In hindsight, it was obvious actually!"
Thankfully, Phillip only suffered a few singed hairs. Nakita noted, "We took him back to the groomers on the Friday - and they did such a good job. You couldn't really tell anything had happened." The accident, which Nakita described as "couldn't have come at a worse time," was met with Kenneth's exasperated shout of "F*** sake" as he watched hundreds of pounds worth of grooming go up in smoke.
Triumph at Crufts
Phillip proceeded to compete in the Toy Poodle Good Citizen category at Crufts last weekend, where he proudly claimed second place. "I'm a proud dog mum," Nakita said. "But I'm aware that Phillip had a lucky escape." Alongside Phillip, Nakita has ten other dogs: an Italian greyhound and nine miniature dachshunds, which she breeds.
Lessons Learned and Precautions
Nakita admitted to spending £100 every three weeks on Phillip's grooming sessions since January in preparation for the competition. Following the incident, she has moved the candle to a side table and has not lit one since. She emphasised, "No matter how well-trained or behaved your dog is, you can't be too careful. So don't leave lit candles in easy-to-reach places for your pets!"
This heart-stopping episode serves as a stark reminder to pet owners about the hidden dangers within the home, even for show-stopping champions like Phillip.
