On a recent visit to California, I picked up a box of my mother’s favorite chocolates. But in my rush to get to work after my return, I left it in the bottom of my open suitcase never imagining that my dog would sniff it out. By the time I discovered him, bad dog Marley (at right) had eaten a quarter pound of the chocolate.

Knowing that chocolate can be harmful to dogs, I rushed him to the vet where he was admitted to the veterinary hospital for two days and treated to counteract the effects. Later that week Marley was back to his hyper self and I was $1,000 poorer.

As much as we humans love it, chocolate contains caffeine, theobromine, or theophylline, which can adversely affect a dog's heart and nervous system. Because dogs metabolize their food differently, the 'people' food we eat isn't necessarily good for them. In fact, last year the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center handled 17,453 cases of pets poisoned by people food. Here's a partial list of the culprits: