Concerns raised about poison in Beauport area

Wednesday 26 July 2017

Dog owners have expressed concerns for the safety of their pooches after a dog died from suspected poisoning following a walk around Les Creux and Beauport, an area popular with dog walkers.

Other owners have mentioned their dogs feeling ill after walking in the area, prompting the Environment Department to issue a statement calling for owners to be vigilant.

The poor pup died in the early hours of Tuesday morning according to a post on the Jersey Dog Forum. It had been walking around Beauport and Les Creux on Monday and the symptoms kicked in about two hours later. A friend of the owner warned fellow members on the page urging them to "keep away". It is believed this wasn't the first time dogs were seemingly poisoned in the area. 

While most of the messages were in sympathy with the pup's family, one member mentioned a dog was sick after drinking from a puddle in the area, adding that she had heard of at least one other case. Another member mentioned receiving several messages from fellow owners saying their pooch had felt ill after being in the same area.

The announcement caused concern to dog lovers and dog owners alike, with many asking if the poisoning was deliberate or caused by a plant or the water. Some seemed to jump to the conclusion the poison had been "deliberately" sprayed in the area by "evil people." However, as it isn't clear what happened yet, one of the forum administrators wrote: "There can be lots of potential toxins to dogs in the environment. We haven't seen anything to suggest that anyone would have done this intentionally at all."

The Department of the Environment was contacted about the issue and urged people to be vigilant if they had any doubts about their pup. In a statement, they wrote:  "If Islanders have concerns about the health of their dog, they should report this to their vet in the first instance. If the dog owner or vet thinks the cause of the animal’s ill health is suspicious, they should report this to the police for further investigation.

"If the police consider an offence may have been committed, they will investigate further and liaise with the relevant authorities as necessary. If people are concerned, they should keep their dogs under close control or on a lead."

While the incident hasn't directly been reported to the police, the force say they are aware of the incident.