Poison Fear After Dogs Die On Yorkshire Path

Quote :

Animal welfare investigators fear someone is maliciously poisoning dogs after at least eight died within an hour of walking along a rural Yorkshire footpath.

Dog owners and families on holiday with their pets have been warned to be vigilant by the RSPCA after the series of unexplained deaths linked to the popular walking route.

The path, off Station road in Cross Hills near Keighley, has now been cordoned off.

In almost all instances, the dogs collapsed and died within minutes of returning from a walk along the route, which leads through fields by a lake.

The RSPCA has recorded eight deaths so far, though officials fear the number could be higher as some owners may not have come forward yet.


RSPCA officer Leanne Plumtree said: "We don't know what could be causing this but we strongly suspect that the dogs may have been poisoned.

"We also cannot rule out the possibility that this is being done deliberately."

She said the Environment Agency had already taken tests from the pond in the area and ruled out toxic algae as the possible source.

Baffled vets are carrying out post-mortem examinations of some of the dogs to try to find the exact cause of death.

Eileen and Ken Johnson's six-year-old Jack Russell, Diesel, was one of the first dogs to die when he collapsed after returning home from a walk on Friday 20 May.


Mrs Johnson, 71, heard a thud and turned around to see her pet convulsing on the floor.

She said it looked like he was having a seizure. Diesel died a few minutes later.

Mrs Johnson said: "He was a lovely, lively little thing. He had never been ill and then he died so suddenly as if someone just came in and shot him in front of my eyes."

Mr Johnson told Sky News he suspected that Diesel had been poisoned, saying: "A fit dog like that does not just drop down and die."

No other animal deaths have been reported in the area.

If anyone who has seen or heard anything suspicious in relation to the incident they can call the RSPCA on 0300 1234 999 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.

Makes me spit this does, too many dogs have died through this mystery. It's not the first another incident was reported last year with similar results in a different county

There's another dog story you've just reminded me of Witchy..

Can be that the investigators will more be enlightened when the autopsies and the toxicologiques analyses of his unfortunates dogs will have been made.

Peut être que les enquêteurs seront plus éclairés lorsque les autopsies et les analyses toxicologiques de ces malheureux chiens aura été faites.

Strange , to be poisoned they would have had to eat or drink something . Plus did their owners let them out of their sight , even for a short while ? the lake would seem a logic case as here in France there have been stories of dogs dying . This was due to toxic algue in the water, brought on by very hot weather .

Bizarre, pour être empoisonné , ils ont du boire ou manger quelque chose . aussi , est ce que leurs propriétaires les ont perdu de vue, même pour une période très courte . Le lac semblerait être une réponse logique car en France il y a eu des histoires de chiens qui meurent . Ceci était dû à une algue toxique dans l'eau , causé par un temps très chaud.

Until the lab tests come back from the lake, nobody will know.

Poisons can be sprayed onto grass etc, cyanide and other poisions are/used to be used by farmers on their crops to save them being destroyed.