Eight dogs fall ill after alleged dog baiting in a Kooyong park
A dog walker says his precious pooch was among eight dogs that fell violently ill after allegedly being baited with cheese at a popular off-leash park in Melbourne’s inner east. Two canines were so sick they needed vet treatment.
Inner East
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Dog walkers at a Kooyong park are fearful for the health of their pets after some of them fell ill when they were allegedly baited.
Kooyong’s Geoff Gill said that he and other regular walkers at Sir Zelman Cowen Park had noticed eight of their dogs gradually getting sick over the past three weeks, reporting vomiting and diarrhoea.
They discovered something was up when 80kg Russian terrier Beetroot picked up a piece of the alleged bait, which was mixed with cheese.
Mr Gill said he was “absolutely horrified” when his beloved four-year-old labrador Benji became “very, very ill” on New Year’s Day.
Another woman who had walked dogs in the park for 30 years had to take her cocker spaniel and cavoodle to vets in Prahran and Collingwood.
“We all come down here walking our dogs, then it was one getting sick here, another sick there, and the penny drops that there’s something disgraceful going on,” he said.
Stonnington Mayor Steve Stefanopoulos said one dog became sick after it visited the park late last year, but officers did not find any bait.
The council was contacting local vets to find out if any other dogs had become sick.
Cr Stefanopoulos said the council regularly monitored all of its parks and gardens and rarely received dog baiting complaints.
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“When received we investigate as quickly as possible and our animal management and parks teams work together to ensure safety,” he said.
“If anyone is concerned about the health and wellbeing of their animal after being in a public space, they should contact their local vet first and then council with specific details.
“We want to know and will work to investigate as quickly as possible.”