Dog baiting: poisoned mince thrown over fence in Mt Martha
A DOG owner is warning others to be on alert after finding raw meat laced with poison thrown over her fence.
South East
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A DOG owner is warning others to be on alert after finding raw meat laced with poison thrown over her fence.
Mt Martha woman Maria, who didn’t want her surname printed, discovered the tainted ‘rissoles’ — laced with either rat or snail poison — on Monday.
“I don’t understand why someone would do such a thing,” she said.
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“It could have hurt a human. It could have been fatal if consumed by a toddler.”
Maria says the poisoned meat (pictured) could also have killed her two beloved dogs — a west highland terrier, Niki, and a maltese shih tzu cross, Milo — along with terrier puppy Bella who she is looking after for a relative.
It was one of her children who first made the horrific discovery, seeing Bella with what looked like a tennis ball in her mouth.
But when Bella dropped the item, Maria knew something was terribly wrong.
“It was like a raw ball of meat — firmly pressed,” she said.
“It had some sort of tablet inside. I thought ‘Oh my goodness’.”
Another ‘rissole’, also suspected of containing poison, was found on the back deck of Maria’s property.
“I was in tears. I couldn’t believe someone would do this,” she said.
Maria raced to Peninsula Vetcare Mt Eliza, near where she works, for advice.
A vet, Dr Gordon Watt, told the Leader it was clear the meat had been laced with either rat or snail poison.
“Both types of bait are potentially fatal unless they are treated,” Dr Watt said.
It is believed Bella didn’t ingest the meat and blood tests are expected to confirm the dog is not at risk of poisoning despite the close call.
Maria has distributed flyers in the Mt Martha area warning residents about potential baiting.
She has also reported the incident to Mornington Police, who are investigating.
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