A guy claimed he is ‘extremely sad’ after his six-month-old puppy died during a stroll on a popular beach, one of five canine fatalities in 72 hours.
Dusty Sammon took his rescue dog Yindi for a stroll along Kawana Beach on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on August 3. Mr Sammon said that Yindi was having a fantastic time’sniffing and playing’ with other dogs until 8 p.m., when she got quite unwell.
‘We went home at… 8 o’clock, and she just began vomiting and became pretty unwell very fast,’ Mr Sammon said to 7News.
‘By 10.30pm, we had her at the vet, and she was vomiting and diarrhoea all the time.’
Yindi’s health deteriorated and she died three days later when her illness progressed to severe renal failure.
‘Every day became worse and worse; she was spending the whole day at the vet on IV,’ Mr Sammon said.
‘They phoned me Saturday afternoon and said the best choice was to let her go.’
‘Despite their best efforts, tests, drugs, and antibiotics, nothing improved, and it progressed to severe renal failure.’
Mr Sammon was ‘extremely upset,’ he added, since Yindi had gone into his heart and was his closest friend. He is now urging other dog owners to avoid the nine-kilometer length of Kawana Beach.
‘Serious caution to all dog owners, stay away of Kawana beach area at the present, 5 dogs died shortly after being there and a lot more very unwell but survived,’ Mr Sammon said on Facebook on Tuesday.
‘This does not seem to be a coincidence, therefore I would advise caution for the time being.’ Please spread the word because I don’t want any more cherished creatures to die or anybody else to go through what I’ve gone through.’
Poisonings are suspected to have killed at least five dogs, with many more being transported to veterinary institutions for life-saving treatment.
Prior to becoming sick, all of the dogs had visited Buddina Beach or other beaches such as Kawana, Minyama, Point Cartwright, and La Balsa.
The RSPCA has classified the incident a “current priority inquiry,” and is collaborating with Queensland Police and the local municipality.
North Coast Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care has issued a public warning to dog owners to ‘exercise care’ while visiting certain places with their canine companions and to keep a close check on them to ensure they don’t drink or ingest anything whose origins are unknown.
‘Unfortunately, we have seen a succession of patients arrive with similar symptoms that may imply ingesting poisoning,’ the clinic said.
‘Although we are unable to confirm the etiology of these presentations, the region that these patients have walked in the previous 12 hours is the connection to these individuals.’
‘Watch for stomach disturbances, lethargy, or other changes in your pet’s behavior.
‘We elected to err on the side of caution and notified local authorities.’
A doggy day care center issued a similar warning, expressing sadness at the loss of Billy the beagle, one of its beloved customers.
‘Our hearts are devastated.’ ‘Our adorable pup Billy seems to have been poisoned,’ Doggie Adventure Playhouse stated.
‘Dogs are our hearts, love, companions, and devoted snuggle pals.
‘Our heartfelt thoughts and kisses go out to Billy’s lovely and devastated parents.’
Billy’s owners, Val and Peter Logan, told the ABC that they took him for a stroll to the beach and he came home ‘very contentedly.’
Half an hour after Mr. and Mrs. Logan returned him, the two-year-old puppy started to vomit ceaselessly, prompting them to hurry him to the emergency clinic. Billy passed away later that evening. On August 3, Silver Lining Pet Rescue Inc revealed that one of their rescue dogs, Sophie, died as a result of a suspected poisoning incident near Buddina Beach.
On Friday afternoon, he, like Mr. and Mrs. Logan, had taken his dog for a stroll on the beach.
Sophie, on the other hand, became very sick at night and died.
Tara Clegg, another dog owner, claimed her cow dog Max drank from the water dish at the old gate 13 access along Kawana beach last Tuesday before passing away three days later.
The RSPCA acknowledged that it is conducting an investigation with the support of police and the local municipality.
‘The goal of the inquiry is to identify whether the recent outbreak of poisoning on the Sunshine Coast was purposeful, unintentional, or environmental,’ an RSPCA official told Daily Mail Australia.
‘Anyone who fears their dog has consumed anything harmful should seek quick veterinarian attention.’
‘We’re advising all dog walkers to stay careful and keep a watch on their pet to ensure they don’t drink or ingest anything of unknown origins.’
According to the council, the actual cause of the poisonings is unknown.
‘The Sunshine Coast Council offers its sympathies to our community members who have lost their beloved pet as a consequence of the alleged poisonings,’ said a spokesperson.
‘Council has taken precautionary steps to minimise the danger of animals drinking potentially contaminated water by emptying and sanitizing all dog water bowls in the vicinity,’ says the statement.
‘We are also removing any unsecured water bowls and sealing any fixed bowls to restrict access.
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Pet owners should keep their dogs in sight at all times when in off-leash locations, and they should make sure their dog responds to voice instructions before allowing them out of the house so they can be called away from unexpected food sources.
Pet owners should also be on the lookout for indications of gastritis, shortness of breath, or listlessness in their pets.
Dog owners who fear their pet has consumed anything harmful should contact the RSPCA at 1300 ANIMAL or the police.
