A dog owner in Sydney's inner west has been left devastated and issued a public warning after his pet ate sausage meat deliberately laced with rat poison, discovered scattered on the ground in a local park.
Park Discovery Sparks Community Alarm
On Friday, a formal alert was issued to residents of Stanmore after discoveries were made in Weekley Park. The notice, from the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Sydney, stated that meat containing rat or snail poison had been found. The warning stressed these substances are "highly toxic and can be life-threatening for dogs" and urged anyone whose dog had eaten suspicious material in the area to contact a vet immediately.
Owner's Frantic Race to Save His Pet
For local man Steve Badgery, the warning came too late. His eight-year-old English Cocker Spaniel, William, had already consumed one of the contaminated sausage pieces. "He loves food, very food driven. I couldn't get it out of his mouth," Mr Badgery explained. Acting quickly, he rushed William to the vet, taking a piece of the sausage with him for identification.
The veterinary team induced vomiting, successfully making the dog bring up most of the ingested material. They confirmed William had eaten up to six pellets of rat bait concealed within the meat. A vet warned that "the worst case scenario is death" for dogs consuming the bait, but emphasised that timely treatment can be effective.
Recovery and Calls for Vigilance
Thankfully, William is expected to make a full recovery. However, a relieved Mr Badgery has urged other dog walkers to exercise extreme caution. "Keep an eye on [your dogs]. Try not to allow them to scavenge and eat things off the ground, because you just never know what people have done," he advised.
This advice was echoed by the University Veterinary Teaching Hospital Sydney, which recommended keeping dogs on a leash in affected areas. The incident has shocked the local community, with one woman living near Weekley Park describing the act as "cruel" and "a bit scary."
In response, some residents have taken proactive measures, searching the park themselves. During one such search, they reportedly found four more pieces of sausage containing bait. The Daily Mail has approached Inner West Council for a statement on the matter.
