A MT MARTHA pet owner whose dog managed to avoid being poisoned is warning her neighbours to watch out.
Maria (who asked that her surname be withheld), of Cornwell Crescent, was minding her parents’ West Highland terrier pup Bella when it came inside with a piece of meat in its mouth just after 8am on Monday 6 August.
The nine-month-old dropped the meat, which was about the size of a tennis ball, revealing six mysterious blue pellets embedded inside.
“I had no idea what it was, it was bizarre,” Maria said.
“It looked like a child’s meatball with vitamins and I took pictures of it. Then I found another meatball on the deck and realised there was something serious going on.
“I took them to work and was told the dog had been baited.”
She took the dog to the vet for a blood test and was relieved when told it was showing no ill-effects.
Maria, who has two older dogs, has distributed a flyer to spread the word about the poisoning attempt to her neighbours in Cornwall Crescent, Hall and Hove roads and Somerset Drive, Mt Martha.
Mornington police, who are investigating the incident, said the suspected poison had not been identified late last week.
“Anyone with a problem, such as a dog’s barking, should come to your door and talk about it,” Maria said. “There’s no face-to-face conversation anymore because people are always staring at their computer screens.”
She said the sinister incident was unsettling.
“Why try to poison a dog and then make me suffer while watching it suffer,” she asked.
“What if a child had picked up the bait and tried to eat it?”
Police urge pet owners to be alert for any suspicious substances in their yards. Pets that appear to have been poisoned should be taken immediately to a vet.
Anyone with information is urged to call Mornington police 5970 4900 or Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000.
First published in the Mornington News – 14 August 2018
