Who would try to poison dogs?
RAT POISON LAID IN FIELD
ANIMAL-LOVER Kerry-Anne Richardson is warning dog owners to be extra vigilant after her pet ate rat poison when out on a walk.
Bagel the beagle was out with Kerry-Anne’s fiance Phil Wallace when he saw the him eat what looked like pearls of barley.
But Phil spotted discarded rat poison packaging and rushed Bagel to the vets.
Now, Kerry-Anne is warning other pet owners and is asking them to stay vigilant.
“Luckily we got Bagel to the vets and they induced vomiting to get all the poison out,” said Kerry-Anne, 36, of Longbenton, North Tyneside.
“He is on the road to recovery but if he had eaten enough of the poison he could have died. We are wanting to warn other dog owners to be extra careful as we don’t want any other dogs to go through this.”
Bagel and Phil, 27, were out walking on the field between Benton Village Green and the cemetery last Wednesday when they came across the poison.
“Bagel ate something but Phil noticed very quickly what it was because the rat poison packaging was still there.
“It looked as though the person who did this had sprinkled the poison in different parts of the field.
“After coming back from the vets we returned to the field to pick up what we could. We then called the police.”
Kerry-Anne, who owns Cock A Snoop Tattoo Parlour in Heaton, Newcastle, and is also a personal trainer, told Bagel’s story in a post on Facebook and it has been shared over 1,200 times.
She wrote: “Our beautiful Bagel will hopefully be OK (we have to keep an eye on him) but a couple of hours ago he ingested RAT POISON.
“Somebody has sprinkled LOTS of packets in the field between Benton Village Green and the cemetery.
“As soon as we returned from the vets we contacted the police and picked up what we could, we can’t say we got all of it as it was dark. We also found an empty bone which may or may not have contained some of the poison.
“If you know anybody who walks their dog in this area please contact them and ask them to be vigilant/avoid.”
Kerry-Anne added: “Bagel is very subdued now, he’s not himself. We have to monitor him over he next couple of weeks.
“Eating rat poison can cause a vitamin K deficiency and the signs to look out for are bruising on the gums and underbelly, as well as blood in stools and urine.
“This was awful and we don’t want any other dog to go through this.”
Laura Morton, head nurse at Newcastle Vets4Pets, on Benton Road, Newcastle, said: “Bagel was brought to us after he had eaten some rat poison on a walk.
“Rat poison is a particularly dangerous toxin. It acts as an anticoagulant and can cause fatal bleeding.
“Bagel was very lucky on this occasion, he had only ingested a very small amount and his owners brought him to the practice immediately where we were able to make him sick.
“Had he ingested more of the poison and if his owners were not aware of him eating it then it could have been a very different story.
“If you ever suspect your pet has eaten rat poison or any other toxin then please seek veterinary advice immediately. “
A Northumbria Police spokesperson said: “On Wednesday (December 5), police were made aware that rat poison had been found by a dog walker on Benton Village Green.
“The individual in question was concerned that their dog may have ingested some of the poison.
“We take all reports of this nature seriously. Enquiries have been made into the incident but there is nothing to suggest any criminal offences have taken place.
“Police would always encourage people to contact us if they are concerned about any suspicious behaviour. Anyone with information should contact 101 quoting reference 718 051218.”