A beloved family dog’s sudden death at a local park has left a cloud of mystery and fear surrounding the cause. Maverick, a two-year-old pooch, died after consuming something at Oxenford Lake on Queensland’s Gold Coast.
While on a routine walk, Maverick started to behave strangely, vomiting and becoming weak at the knees.
Owner Sheree Hastie quickly loaded him into her car, but despite her desperate attempts to get him treatment, Maverick passed away just 20 minutes after leaving the park.
Ms Hastie believes that Maverick ingested something poisonous after smelling something “fishy” in his vomit and seeing “little chunky bones.”
She suspects that there may be toxic substances in the park, and has heard of other dogs becoming ill after visiting. However, new information has led her to believe that Maverick was not deliberately baited.
Instances of dog baiting in parks across Australia have become increasingly common in recent years, with the bait usually consisting of rat poison wrapped in food to appeal to dogs and to hide the smell and taste of the poison.
Symptoms of baited dogs include lethargy, breathing difficulties, tremors, convulsions, excessive panting, or drooling, and without treatment, death can occur within one to two hours.
Ms Hastie’s other dogs, Frankie and Ellie, were not their usual playful selves after the loss of their brother Maverick.
The Gold Coast Council has already placed a sign warning dog owners to keep their animals on a leash at the lake, and others will soon be erected in the area.
Ms Hastie has cautioned other dog owners to keep a close eye on their pets to avoid a similar tragedy, saying, “I don’t want anybody else to go through what we’ve been through this week.”
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