After the spate of dog deaths at the beginning of October in and around the Ria Formosa area, apparently caused by the animals eating poisoned chicken carcasses, it seems that the poisoners have reared their ugly heads once again and the pleas from residents to the Almancil GNR about combating this problem have fallen on deaf ears, as Dr. Reto E Meier found out.
Dr. Meier and his wife were walking their dog along the Ria Formosa Parque Natural laguna, just in front of the Quinta do Lago hotel, earlier this week, when their dog grabbed something from the bush at the side of the path. Luckily, Dr. Meier’s wife was able to retrieve the object from her dog’s mouth before he was able to swallow it. The little pink bag turned out to contain rat poison.
The couple were not only distressed by the ordeal, but also angry that the indiscriminate poisoning had started up once more. Dr. Meier is convinced that the rat poison was not intended to kill off any vermin in the area, as rats do not live in places where there is salt water. With the history of dog poisoning within the area, it is fair to say that man’s best friend was the probable target.
“If this is allowed to continue, without any intervention from the authorities, it is certainly only a matter of time before a small child could find such a bag,” he explained. “The consequences of this are not worth thinking about. “
Dr. Meier and his wife were extremely distraught, saying: “Our dog would have died had we not been close by and seen what happened. I think it is of extreme importance for the safety of people and animals in general that this is made known to a wider public, to warn them to take the threat very seriously.”
It is important to report all poisoning incidents to the GNR. In addition, a report can be filed with the World Society for the Protection of Animals at www.wspa.org.uk. For more information about illegal poisoning and what to do if you suspect your pet has eaten poison, visit www.actionagainstpoisoning.com
