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Dog owner whose Jack Russell was poisoned by man in Salisbury Park warns other pet owners to be wary

AN Adelaide woman has told of her horror at a local dog park as a man pulled rat poison from his back pocket and told her he’d just fed it to her dog. Here’s what happened next:

Shannon Emery, rear, with her poisoned family dog Diago and children Jayden, Caleb, Zach and Cailtyn.
Shannon Emery, rear, with her poisoned family dog Diago and children Jayden, Caleb, Zach and Cailtyn.

A HORRIFIED Salisbury woman whose dog was almost killed when a man fed it rat poison is urging people to be cautious of a suspicious individual lurking around dog parks.

Shannon Emery took her seven-year-old Jack Russell, Diago, to the Jenkins Reserve dog park on Saints Rd, Salisbury Park, on May 24 at about 11.30am.

She let him off his leash inside the enclosed area before walking to the opposite end of the reserve with her daughter Klaire, 1.

The dog park Mrs Emery had taken her 7-year-old Jack Russell.
The dog park Mrs Emery had taken her 7-year-old Jack Russell.

Mrs Emery then looked back and noticed a man had entered the dog park and approached Diago.

“I saw him come through the gate at the park, kneel down and give Diago something,” Mrs Emery said.

“I realised that he had no dog with him so I went up to him and asked what he was doing. The man just laughed at me, pulled out some Ratsak from his pocket and said that he had fed it to Diago and that ‘he is going to die’.

“Then he started laughing. It was like a belly laugh — horrible and nasty.”

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Mrs Emery picked up both Diago and Klaire, and rushed to the nearest veterinary clinic where medical staff gave him medication that forced him to vomit.

Another injection was then administered to stop Diago from continually vomiting, and he was also given a charcoal-based tablet to treat any potential toxic chemicals in his stomach.

Mrs Emery said Diago was “still not out of the woods” and would continue to be monitored.

She had urged fellow dog-owners to watch their pets at dog parks and to look out for a man described as having brown hair and eyes, ripped clothing and “lurking” without his own dog.

The Adelaide dog park where a dog was allegedly fed rat poison.
The Adelaide dog park where a dog was allegedly fed rat poison.

Salisbury Council, to which Mrs Emery reported the incident, has released the same warning on its Facebook page.

Since it was uploaded on Thursday, the post has attracted about 2500 shares.

The post advised that council staff were investigating the matter and urged people who had experienced “a similar situation” to report the matter on 8406 8222.

Playford Council also shared Salisbury’s post.

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger/north-northeast/dog-owner-whose-jack-russell-was-poisoned-by-man-in-salisbury-park-warns-other-pet-owners-to-be-wary/news-story/bed8a19f367f2eace0051765317903a6