Warning to dog owners as labrador and chihuahua also suspected to have been poisoned by cannabis
TWO more dogs have been taken ill after visiting Welcombe Hills.
Last week the Herald reported on the case of golden retriever Sable, 11, who collapsed after a walk in the area and had to be rushed to an animal hospital – where she tested positive for cannabis.
After we ran the story, a Stratford resident contacted us to say that his adult daughter’s dogs had suffered the same experience.
Declining to be named, he said that his daughter’s labrador and chihuahua both fell ill after being taken for a walk on Welcombe Hills.
As it happened at the weekend the family were forced to go to Solihull for emergency care. Athough waiting for the final bill, the dad said it is estimated that it will be between £5k and £7k.
He was particularly angry that Stratford lacked vets that could help locally: “We rang round the vets and none of them offered emergency care over the weekend – you have to head to Coventry, Solihull or Birmingham. What about people that don’t drive? You’d think there would be some sort of rota system in place, like I’m sure there used to be. It’s disgusting really – it’s no way to treat animals.”
Even more infuriating were the actions of the drug-users, he said. “It makes my blood boil that drug users will take their fix and then just leave the residue lying around. You should be able to take your dog for a walk and let them off the lead in an open field.”
This is not the first time the Herald has reported on dogs being poisoned after accidentally eating discarded drugs and associated paraphernalia. Two dogs were stricken in summer 2020 after walking on Shottery Fields – one sadly died.
The Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) says there are hundreds of cases a year nationally. Around one case in seven is thought to involve ‘gummies’ – sweets infused with cannabis.
