I grabbed her collar sharply and pulled her away, cursing loudly. My heart was pounding with anger, because all I could think about was how much I’d have to pay for repairs. But when I bent down and peered into the dark hole the dog had scratched, I was horrified to see what was hidden inside. Now I want to share my story with all parents so you too can be more careful.

A heavy, musty smell emanated from the wall. It was so unpleasant that I couldn’t help but wince.

I turned on the flashlight on my phone and shone it inside the wall. The beam of light slid across the wooden beams and insulation, and at that moment a chill ran down my spine.

The entire space behind my daughter’s crib was covered in thick, black stains.

This wasn’t just dirt or ordinary dampness. A thick, fluffy layer of black mold was growing on the wood and insulation. I immediately knew something was very wrong.

A few minutes later, examining the wall more closely, I noticed a thin, wet streak on a pipe coming from the adjacent bathroom. It turned out the pipe had been slowly leaking for a very long time. Moisture had been collecting inside the wall for years, and toxic black mold had grown there.

This particular wall was located right behind my baby’s crib.

At that moment, my hands literally started shaking. I suddenly realized that my daughter might not have asthma at all. She’d been breathing air filled with toxic mold spores for weeks.

And all this time, Daisy smelled a scent we couldn’t detect. She scratched the wall, destroyed the house, and injured her paws just to get to the source of the scent.