Fencing or tying dogs may be ‘new reality’

Agriculture investigators unable to confirm cause of dog’s poisoning.

Te Are Manu vet clinic president Patricia Barton has slammed the recent deaths of dogs from pesticide poisoning as tragic and totally unnecessary.

Last week a family had to euthanase their family dog Timmie, after they say he was poisoned by the herbicide paraquat.

According to Timmie’s owner Nick Carter, they lost the two-and-a-half year old dog to what vets said was paraquat poisoning.

Agriculture Secretary Temarama Anguna-Kamana said her officials were not able to confirm the poisoning was caused by paraquat.

“It’s just so heart-breaking and totally unnecessary,” Barton said. “I’ve heard of a number of dogs that have died in the past week from pesticide poisoning. Our hearts go out to these families.”

Pet owners should talk to neighbouring farmers and find out what kind of farming practices they use, she said. And people talk to your local members of parliament and tell them it’s not on.

“Regardless of whether you have pets or kids, if someone in your neighbourhood is using substances that have the potential to kill, you should know about it,” she said.

Keeping pets tied up or fenced in may also help.

“It’s not how many like to keep their pets but with the rise in poisoning cases it may be the new reality.”

Farmers should let their neighbours know when they are going to use harmful chemicals, she said, or better still, just not use them at all.

There were much wider implication for the community in terms of their use, including run off into waterways, Barton added.

“There are more environmentally safe options available and I note Agriculture are instigating education and
assistance to farmers for safer practices.”