By Brendan Rees
A 70 year-old woman has been left devastated after her Jack Russell died after ingesting what was believed to be rat poison.
His owner, Bev Shepard, of Hampton Park said there was no rat bait kept on her Highland Avenue property and wanted others to be careful.
Ms Shepard said she knew something was wrong with Lucky, 13, at about 7am on Sunday 10 December.
“He was just nearly out to it. He wasn’t going to do anything. You could see he was struggling.”
Lucky was taken to the Animal Emergency Centre (AEC) in Hallam but his condition deteriorated.
“By the time we got him there he was critical; we couldn’t do a great deal for him,” she said.
“He still had the bit of blue on his lip and that’s when they confirmed it that it was the bait.”
The Vet told Ms Shepard they could operate but there was no guarantee Lucky would survive. “I said “it’s best that we put him to sleep.’”
Ms Shepard said she suspected someone may have thrown bait into her backyard.
“I know people next door who have got a little girl; they had had a couple of baits thrown over their fence at their dog, a German Shepherd.”
“Whether it was meant to hit their dog or not I don’t know.”
She said it was hard to describe losing her closest friend.
“Even now, we look around and hear a noise, expecting to see him and he’s not here. He was a pretty well-loved dog.”
Ms Shepard’s neighbour, Xue Wang said she sometimes heard noises coming from her backyard but believed it may have been a possum at night.
“I’m not sure if it’s poison or not but I just suspect it, just worry,” she said, after receiving an anonymous letter saying her dog was noisy.
City of Casey council was not aware of the incident or anything similar happening in the past.
Under Victorian law, if someone is caught deliberately poisoning animals, they could be charged with animal cruelty — facing a maximum jail term of 12 months or a fine of up to $39,000.
AEC Hallam Veterinary Director Dr Natalie Rulton said there were many cases when owners suspected their pets had been baited by a malicious person but often pets had found something toxic on their property.
RSPCA Victoria Head of Prevention, Sophie Buchanan said it was essential people contacted their local Vet as soon as possible if they suspected their pet had eaten a bait or poison even if their animal were not exhibiting any adverse symptoms.
“It’s important to supervise your pet when you’re walking outdoors to minimise the risk they will eat something harmful that they may come across.”
“Indoors, pet-proofing your house can also reduce the likelihood your animal will accidentally ingest a dangerous substance,” she said.
Anyone who has concerns for the welfare of an animal is encouraged to contact RSPCA Victoria on 9224 2222 or at rspcavic.org.
