DURBAN - THE Yellowwood and Montclair Animal group (YMA) is concerned about incidents of suspected dog poisoning in the areas of Montclair and Yellowwood park.
Several incidents have occurred there in the last two weeks. In the latest incident, a pitbull is believed to have been poisoned and is now recovering in hospital.
One of the directors of YMA Belinda Harcombe urged dog owners not to treat their dogs as security, following the alleged poisoning incidents.
“In the early hours of Wednesday morning, a pitbull named Rex was poisoned in Old Mill Road, Yellowwood Park. It seems as if these people attempted to steal the rims and tyres off a Toyota Corolla parked in the yard and clearly Rex was in their way.
“Rex was fed a sausage with green stuff in it. I had a picture of the sausage that matched the description that was used to poison (two other dogs) in Coucal Close, which sadly died” said Harcombe.
Harcombe said the owner found him eating something at 2am that morning but did not think much and threw it away.
“When the dog started vomiting, the owner contacted Juanita Reynen, the director of YMA, at about 11am, because the owner realised it may have been poison.
“We took Rex to Montclair Animal Hospital but Dr Govender said Rex is in serious condition, we just pray he makes it. We are not sure what this poison is, it could be some sort of rat poison,” she said.
She urged pet owners to keep their pets indoors.
“Don't treat them like your security, when you can get beams instead. You are actually safer in your homes, with your dogs inside anyway,” she said.
She also urged pet owners to take their pets to the veterinarian and not treat them at home if they have been poisoned.
The dog owner Sifiso Ngcongo said he suspected his dog had been poisoned. He did not open a criminal case, as nothing had been stolen in his yard.
THE MERCURY