Loved pet has fits from poison bait
CRANBROOK couple Andrew and Steph Mair have watched their dog go from loveable, energetic whirlwind to an energy- sapped sleeper after a suspected poisoning.
On Mother’s Day, only a few weeks ago, they woke to find their 40kg pet doberman Lou- Lou unable to walk.
The six- year- old dog was paralysed for about four days as vets first suspected she’d been bitten by a brown snake.
Unable to find bite marks or any trace of venom in blood samples, Mr and Mrs Mair said it appeared their dog had eaten rat poison.
They said the most likely rat poison was the neurotoxin bromethalin. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals says there is no known effective treatment or antidote for the substance.
“The vets didn’t think she was going to survive,” Mrs Mair said. “She couldn’t even stand up.” CCTV from their neighbour’s house showed a random car pull up outside their Selwyn St home about 2.30am on May 13 and then drive off about 15 minutes later.
Mr Mair heard Lou- Lou barking briefly about 2.30am.
The couple said the poison had taken a long- lasting neurological toll on their beloved dog.
Lou- Lou now only lasted about 5- 10 minutes exercising at the dog park instead of an hour.
“She has seizures now as well,” Mrs Mair said.
Mr Mair said Lou- Lou now struggled getting up and down stairs and stumbled around, but they were just glad she’d survived the ordeal.
“She sleeps a lot more,” Mrs Mair said.
The couple weren’t sure what possible motive there could be behind their dog’s poisoning but said some people thought it may have been done by people wanting to break into their home.
“It’s pretty nasty said.
“If stuff,” Mr Mair it is crime- related, it’s a pretty unhumanitarian thing to do for the sake of grabbing a couple of hundred dollars’ worth of stuff. It depends how desperate people are I guess.”
They wanted to raise awareness with locals and were prompted to do so after being shown the Townsville Bulletin report on the suspected baiting death of two pet dogs in Charters Towers last week.