One dog dead, two sick after being poisoned in South Yarra, Armadale

Pet owners in Melbourne’s inner east are on high alert after a dog died from eating poisoned bait — and fears are growing for kids.

At least three dogs have been poisoned in South Yarra and Armadale.

Stonnington pet owners are urged to be on high alert after several reported instances of dog baiting — one fatal — in Melbourne’s leafy east.

At least three dogs have suffered poisoning during the past fortnight in public spaces in South Yarra and Armadale.

Two were baited at Como Park while a chihuahua was reportedly fatally baited on Huntingtower Rd in Armadale, local sources confirmed.

Stonnington Community Noticeboard founder Brendan Corr said it was “extremely concerning” and he was campaigning for the council to do more to warn pet owners.

Two dogs have been baited at Como Park in South Yarra. Picture: David Geraghty

“The community is living in fear,” Mr Corr said.

“My concern is this could go a lot further, a toddler could pick up these poisonous baits in a park and this could escalate.

“A dog dying is a tragedy but if a child was to die that would be far worse.”

He said the issue had been ongoing for more than a year in the blue-ribbon council which covers Armadale, Glen Iris, Kooyong, Malvern, Malvern East, Prahran, South Yarra, Toorak and Windsor.

Mr Corr said he had confirmed with a local vet a chihuahua had died as a result of consuming poison on Huntingtower Rd in Armadale this week.

He is pleading with the council to urgently erect warning signs at all public parks in their jurisdiction to spread awareness of the issue as well as texting all registered dog owners each time poison bait is reported.

Stonnington locals say they are living in fear over the dog poisoning.

Mr Corr is also pushing for a mobile phone number to be established so residents can easily report baiting incidents.

“There are tens of thousands of dogs within the borders of Stonnington, with many households affected,” he said.

“Everyone in the community can play a part and be vigilant. If you see something, do something.”

Stonnington council said they take “all reports of suspected baits seriously”.

“Council rigorously tests any suspicious matter collected in its parks and reserves,” it said in a statement.

“While actual cases of dog baiting are very rare, the City of Stonnington encourages dog owners to be vigilant in ensuring dogs do not ingest any foreign material while they are being walked.

“In response to recent concerns raised by members of the community about the potential presence of dog baits, Council is taking the extra precaution of erecting signage in and around popular dog exercise areas.”