Hunt for dog poisoner after pet is killed

A dog owner was left distraught after her beloved pet died from eating a tray of food laced with anti-freeze.
Tyson in a swingTyson in a swing
Tyson in a swing

Tyson, a five-year-old miniature dachshund died in agony after eating cat food left in an alley behind his owner’s home.

His owner Cary Durham rushed him to a vets after he appeared dizzy and lethargic when he returned to her home on Sevenoaks Drive, Thornton.

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However, it was too late to save him. Now police are investigating fears someone may have a grudge against cats and dogs in the area.

Cary and RockyCary and Rocky
Cary and Rocky

Ms Durham first thought the tiny dog was suffering from an ear infection.

It was only when she saw plastic trays filled with cat food in a bluish-green liquid in the alley behind her house that she realised he had been intentionally poisoned.

Ms Durham immediately took Tyson to the Andrew Mellor Vetinary Surgery in Bispham, but was told nothing could be done to save him.

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Further tests showed that Tyson had been poisoned with anti-freeze.

PoisonPoison
Poison

Ms Durham said: “Losing him so young is just heartbreaking.”

She added that she believed the five or six dishes of antifreeze had been refilled overnight, as Tyson ate three helpings of poisoned cat food yet the trays were full the next morning.

“Whoever is doing this must be determined to kill as many animals as possible,” she said. Ms Durham’s other daschund, Rocky, also ate some of the poisoned food – but survived after having a gruelling stomach operation.

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“I’m over the moon that Rocky is okay but I’m upset that I have lost Tyson,” Ms Durham said.

“I hope we can catch whoever did this and they will be punished for what they have done.”

Dogs and cats are attracted to the smell of anti-freeze and can consume a lethal dose in seconds. The chemicals cause damage to the heart, kidneys and liver.

A spokeswoman for Lancashire Police said that they were aware of reports of poisoned cat food and that the case is under investigation.