Adelaide Hills pet owners on alert after dog bait warnings

Fears of poisoned meat in Hills dog parks have sparked warnings from a vet and one local who feared her beloved pet had “picked up a toxin”.

A spate of suspected dog poisonings at Adelaide Hills dog parks has sparked concern among the Adelaide Hills community.

Aldgate Veterinary Clinic took to Facebook earlier this month to raise awareness after a patient of theirs had their stomach pumped after he was found eating raw chicken necks at the local park.

“Poor Archer was having fun in the dog park when his owner noticed him eating something,” the post said.

“His smart owner brought him straight to the clinic.”

The clinic shared her fears that the chicken may have been poisoned.

“He will have a quiet night being monitored at home but owners beware as this may be some sort of poisoning,” the post said.

A local resident posted on the Balhannah Dog Park Facebook page on Wednesday to express concern that her dog, Maisie, had fallen ill after she “picked up a toxin” at the park.

Dog minder Olivia Graham with some of the dogs at the Balhannah dog park. Picture: Kelly Barnes

“She has bloody diarrhoea, is vomiting, won’t eat or drink,” Kim Corben said in her post.

“I am posting this so you can be aware and will keep a close eye on your dogs over the dog park.”

Olivia Graham, of Olivia’s Pet Minding, said she doesn’t want to raise concern in the hills community.

The Bridgewater resident and business owner said there are numerous things, other than baiting, that can lead to poisonings.

“Dogs can pick up bacteria from waterways, some plants and fungi can be toxic to animals,” she said.

“I have a few dogs who love to roll in some ‘not so pleasant’ things, so I watch my dogs like a hawk.”

The 39 year old said owners should remain vigilant at their local parks and keep an eye on their dogs to ensure they don’t ingest anything dangerous.

“All dog owners must be aware of what their dog is doing at all times when at a dog park or off leash area,” she said.

“As long as everyone is aware of the potential health risks to any dog in public areas and you take the right precautions, I believe Balhannah is a wonderful dog park.”

Mount Barker Council general manager of planning and community Marc Voortman said the council had been made aware of suspected dog baiting but incidents were not yet verified.

“Council has patrolled the area of the suspected dog baiting and made sure that the concern has also been passed onto SAPOL,” he said.

Adelaide Hills Council said they have had no reports of a suspected dog baiting incident. “If we receive inquiries about baiting we refer people to the RSPCA or SA Police as it’s a criminal act and dealt with by the authorities,” a spokeswoman said.