Dog walkers issued warning

cross hills north yorkshireDog owners are being asked to stay alert after a number of pets died after being walked down a popular footpath at the Cross Hills, North Yorkshire.

The animals are thought to have been killed by poison and officials are trying to work out whether it was accidental or deliberate.

There are thought to have been 8 confirmed deaths so far but there may be an increase in people coming forward. In most of the cases the dogs collapsed and died just a few minutes from returning from their walk.

RSPCA spokeswoman Leanne Plumtree was quoted in The Independent:

“We thought it was probably an isolated thing at first but then we heard about more and more dogs getting poisoned in the area.”

“Not all of the dogs have been referred to the RSPCA. We have been working with two vets in the area who have confirmed the deaths.”

“We are really concerned that people stay out of the area with their pets.”

“This particular footpath seems to have been pinpointed in an area where a lot of dogs are walked. But we don’t know for sure where they have picked this up from or what they have picked up.”

A Jack Russell, Diesel, was one of the first dogs to die after returning from his work and having a seizure. His owner Eileen Johnson said

“We walk the fields five days a week and I can’t believe this has happened. He was a lovely, lively little thing. He had never been ill and then he died so suddenly as if someone just came in and shot him in front of my eyes.”

Post Mortems are being carried out on the dogs to establish the cause of death.

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