Parks staff are stepping up patrols after concerns that dogs have suffered poisoning after being walked in parks in Brighton and Hove.
Sussex Police issued an appeal for information and the RSPCA issued advice to dog owners and anyone using substances that could poison people’s pets.
Among the parks where dog owners have reported concerns are Preston Park, Hove Rec, Vale Park, in Portslade, and Greenleas, in Hangleton.
At a meeting in Hove Park yesterday afternoon (Tuesday 7 April) organised by a worried member of the public, dog owners said that they believed that four dogs had died as a result of poisoning in the past four weeks.
Rhian White, of Brighton Dogwatch, was at the meeting attended by two dozen people.
She urged those attending to help substantiate the truth and not to be alarmed by unsubstantiated rumours of deaths or that dogs were being deliberately poisoned.
Two volunteers are to ring round local vets to try to find out how many cases there have really been.
With her dog Boo on her lap, she said: “I’d rather be paranoid and keep Boo safe than not be paranoid and lose her.
“The more people who know about this the better.
“I’m worried that unsubstantiated comments and reports are flying around. They may be making people worry unnecessary.
“We’re just trying to find out the truth.”
She pointed out that Brighton Dogwatch was set up as a Facebook page by three people and is often used to help find lost dogs.
An associated Facebook has been set up – Brighton Dogwatch Action Group – by those trying to get to the root of the recent deaths.
Brighton and Hove City Council said: “We share the concerns of dog owners and have asked all our parks staff to be particularly vigilant when patrolling the parks, extending their checks to bushes and secluded areas where dogs may wander.
“We would urge park users to help us by reporting anything suspicious and to keep their dogs on leads and within sight.
“We can reassure park users that we do not use any chemicals in our Green Flag parks, which includes Hove Park.
“Occasionally chemicals are used elsewhere, but they do not present any danger to humans, pets or wildlife and have been used safely for many years.”
Sussex Police said that it had received one confirmed report of a dog that died in Hangleton as a result of ingesting poison in March.
However, it said that the vet who treated the animal reported that he believed that the dog could have been unwell before this and had a gastro problem which caused a more severe reaction.
He could not confirm that the toxin was a deliberate poison and stated that this could have easily been picked up from the toilets.
The incident was, in the words of the veterinary surgeon, something that the dog could have walked through and then licked its paw. There was no evidence available to suggest that the dog was deliberately poisoned.
Chief Inspector Helen West said: “Due to the ongoing concerns and media reports, the dog wardens for the city and also the city park rangers have been informed to keep an eye out for anything suspicious such as powder and food being left out and report these incidents to the police.
“PCSOs are also patrolling the local parks and I would encourage anyone with information or concerns to speak to them or to contact us on 101 quoting serial 282 of 24/03. Alternatively, you can email paula.botting@sussex.pnn.
“There is a lot of speculation and rumour on social media, especially with regard to the number of incidents.
“We are only aware of one confirmed incident but if there are others it is important that they are reported to police so that we can accurately assess the situation and take any necessary action to prevent others.”
The RSPCA said: “We are obviously very concerned to hear about these reports and would urge anyone with any information about dog poisoning or evidence that any animal welfare offence has taken place to call us on 0300 123 8018.
“If you are concerned that your pet may have been poisoned please contact your vet as soon as possible.
“Signs that your animal could have been poisoned vary and can include any of the following
- depression
- lack of appetite
- vomiting
- diarrhoea
- breathing difficulties and bad breath
- twitching or
- seizures
“People should be careful when putting down any substances which are potentially poisonous to ensure that other animals are not affected, eg, slug pellets, and that substances are stored appropriately and properly disposed of, rather than dumping them on a roadside or in a park.
“For information on how to detect poisoning log onto www.rspca.org.uk/poisoning.”
This is completely nuts – we have a map showing 9 dog poisoning incidents, and yet in the same article we have the police and a vet saying there’s only be a single confirmed incident.
Is this a genuine story or mass hysteria?!
Still no actual statement of what the poison is! AHINE
there are images of slug pellets hidden in sausages… when will the first toddler eat one of those then… easier to train a dog not to savenge than a small child…
A completely made up article – no substance, no info, just what was ‘said’ by whom. To summarise – somebody spread a rumour dogs are getting poisoned and a few people loosely commented on that. Also the article should state ‘dogs eating poison’ rather than ‘dogs being poisoned’ as there is no proof.
Any chance the dog owners could pick up all the dog mess while they’re looking for the poison!?
Prob more likely to not see their dog pooing now if they are scaning the ground for deadly poisons. Hope this person is caught by the authorities soon; can imagine what vigilantes might do….
A Facebook source (the victims’ family) has confirmed that there has been a dog poisoning in Happy Valley Dog Park in Brighton. Two dogs died yesterday, 25NOV2019, from a yet to be determined source of poisoning and whether it was intentional or accidental. Dog walkers should stay away from Happy Valley until this tragic incident has been investigated.