Meat laced with rat poison found on popular walking routes
Pet owners in Sydney’s inner west are on high alert after a dog fell victim to tainted meat.
Murphy the Labrador ate a ball of meat filled with pellets – thought to be rat poison – along a street in Birchgrove.
Robert Gemmell, a friend of Murphy’s owners, said the pup “was sick probably for about two days” and he was “lethargic”.
“He went and grabbed some mince,” Mr Gemmell said.
“It looked like it had RATSAK or some poison in the mince.”
It’s not the first case of dog baiting in the inner west in recent months.
There were claims of dog baiting occurring along the popular Bay Run in September.
Lenore Lynch said the dogs aren’t the only victims either.
“It’s not just the dogs, it’s the family and the children who love these dogs,” Ms Lynch said.
“It sort of rips the guts out of everything. People don’t want to come into the park.”
Vets said any animal suspected of eating poison should be brought in immediately, but it can take days before the signs of poisoning are noticed.
Balmain Village Veterinary Clinic’s Dr Manuela Trueby said symptoms as lethargy along with the possibility of “internal bleeding”.
The suspected baitings have been reported to local council but authorities said tracking down who might be responsible is difficult.
The advice is for dog owners to be vigilant.
