Following a number of suspicious dog deaths this year, the Steeples Veterinary Clinic has confirmed at least four of them have been poisoned.
Steeples Vet Clinic said two of the dog’s bodies tested positive for Compound 1080 in the toxicology report, one of which was in the Gold Creek area.
This compound is a highly toxic substance that is often used to control wolves and coyotes, it is also the same toxin that was found in the Cranbrook Community Forest in 2017.
“The biggest difference here is that the concentration of the toxin was very different, leading the pathologist to believe that this time it was a secondary poisoning,” said the Steeples Vet Clinic. “This would mean that there was a victim of the poison (likely a wild animal) that passed away and then a second animal (the dog) found the remains and ingested some.”
More: Cranbrook Dog Owners Warned to Keep their Pets Safe Following Suspected Poisoning (May 28, 2020)
The clinic added that this example that shows how dangerous Compound 1080 is. It is not available in B.C. and must be purchased in wither Alberta or Saskatchewan.
“There is no way of knowing for sure if this was purchased with the intent to bait dogs or to control predators, but regardless of why it has been purchased, we know that it is being used in this area illegally and obviously has a devastating impact on our pets,” said Steeples Vet Clinic.
According to the vet, two other dogs were poisoned with ethylene glycol (antifreeze), but the case of the dog on the Lois Creek trails in Kimberley remains a mystery.
“This patient did not come back positive for any Compound 1080, ethylene glycol, or have any other clues from the necropsy. So, we cannot prove or disprove it was a poisoning as the pathologist and toxicologist could not provide us with any more answers,” explained the vet clinic.
Steeples Vet Clinic is asking dog owners and others who may be concerned with the issue to persuade the government to reevaluate the legality of poisons, such as Compound 1080. They encourage residents interested in helping out to visit WolfAwareness.org.
“There is a section on their site where you can submit a letter to our government to help persuade them to reevaluate the legality of these poisons,” said the clinic. “Their goal is 5000 individual letters and they are almost at 3000. If you have the time to submit one, please do so!”
Dog owners are reminded to use caution and keep your pets on a leash and anything suspicious can be reported to the RCMP.
More: Cranbrook vet clinic urging caution following another suspicious dog death (June 12, 2020)
More: Pair of Dogs Killed in Suspected Poisoning Incident in Ta Ta Creek (May 12, 2020)
More: Suspicious Dog Death Under Investigation by Kimberley RCMP (March 11, 2020)
More: Two Dogs Reportedly Dead and Another Extremely Ill Following Wycliffe Butte Walks (March 6, 2020)
