Alternative Media Group

Dogs poisoned in Sydney’s east

Author:

Angus Thompson

Posted:

Thursday, 27 August 2009

Fear has struck the inner east’s dog owners following reports of several dogs being poisoned, resulting in at least one confirmed death.
Locals suspect the dogs were deliberately baited after discovering patches of snail bait littered around Woolloomooloo and Darlinghurst Streets, and antifreeze added to water bowls in Rushcutters Bay Park.
Woolloomooloo resident Paul Jumikis’s Kelpie, Louie, died in July after consuming snail bait left outside the East Sydney Hotel, a known dog-friendly pub. A week later he discovered more snail bait in his rear laneway that appeared to have been neatly dropped, despite there not being a plant in sight.
Snail bait was also dropped along Crown Street, from Cathedral to Oxford Street.
“At first I just thought that I was really unlucky, that it had spilt out of someone’s shopping bag, but when I found a patch of it in my back lane I couldn’t think of any other explanation, except that, you know, it had been deliberate,” said Mr Jumikis.
“It is the most horrendous way that a dog or any animal could die.”
Ingesting snail bait, for which there is no antidote, will cause uncontrollable seizures and hyperthermia, leading to probable death in dogs.
While six dogs were allegedly poisoned with antifreeze in Rushcutters Bay, neither local police nor the RSPCA were aware of any such incidents. The City of Sydney conducts rat baiting in the East Sydney area, however a council spokesperson said that all pesticides were restricted to safe baiting stations inaccessible to dogs.
Following Louie’s death, Mr Jumikis erected posters warning that someone was deliberately poisoning dogs in the area.
Local Peter Bartlett also believes the snail bait was laid for that purpose, and now steps up his guard whenever walking his Pomeranian, Douglas.
“We advised everyone that we possibly knew that had animals. Naturally, everyone advised everyone they knew to watch out for it,” he said.
“It was around the bloody streets for ages after.”

Peter Bartlett is scared for the safety of his dog, Douglas.

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