Dogs are widely poisoned in residential neigbourhoods
About 15 dogs were poisoned in the past two weeks during attempted house burglaries at Elephants Hill and Aloeridge
BURGERSFORT – About 15 dogs were poisoned in the past two weeks during attempted house burglaries at Elephants Hill and Aloeridge.
The latest incident was last Tuesday between 02:00 and 04:00 when the owners of four houses suffered under the cruel injustice of burglars trying to get access to their homes by poisoning their dogs. They did this by feeding them Russian sausages stuffed with Aldicarb.
“We stay in Aloeridge West and around 02:00 last Tuesday I heard dogs barking excessively in the street in front of our home. I checked on our premises, but could not find anything suspicious and I went back to bed,” said Ms Cherise Ooshtuizen. “When me and my husband, Francois, woke up at 08:00, we realised our bakkie was stolen out of the yard and our fox terrier was vomiting severely. Shortly after she collapsed and died. We found pieces of Russian with Aldicarb. We reported the stolen vehicle to the police, but no suspects were apprehended yet. Our dog was like a family member to us. She did not even pose a threat to them. I cannot understand how they could be so cruel.
“We also have two small children, one a 12-month-old baby. What if he had picked up the poisoned Russian? These lawbreakers do not think about tragedies like that,” said Cherise.
Her husband, Francois, added that the thieves knew exactly how to get the vehicle of the yard. “If you do not know how to reverse it properly, you will not be able to exit out our gate. The plugs of the battery were also disconnected and they knew how to connect it again. The empty field across our home is overgrown with long grass and piles of sand making it impossible to spot anyone hiding there. We reported it to the municipality, but nothing has been done to it. This is really becoming a problem for us,” he concluded.
Three other homes were also targeted last Tuesday morning in Elephants Hill. Ms Jenny Oosthuizen and Ms Belinda Anne Hall own three guard dogs. They found one dead and pieces of Russian sausages in their yard. Their cat also died. Dr Florence Makgamatha, veterinarian could fortunately save the other two dogs.
“I heard the dogs barking at about 03:00, but their barking seemed normal, so nothing alerted me. I also checked our premises, but everything seemed normal. When I woke up the next morning, I saw the dogs lying in the yard. I immediately phoned Jenny and we rushed our surviving Rottweiler and basset to Dr Florence. She saved both their lives, but our other dog and cat suffered horrific deaths caused by heartless criminals,” said Hall.
The burglars were startled by Hall who woke up to check if everything was okay. They were unable to complete their attempted break-in. Two other houses in the neighbourhood were also targeted and two dogs of another resident died. Luckily the other owner’s dog did not eat the poisoned food.
Makgamatha handled five poisoning cases during the past two weeks. “The poison they use is Aldicarb. It is a carbamate insecticide which is the active substance in the pesticide Temik. It is better known by locals as Two Step or Galephirimi. When the animals are poisoned, there are a few symptoms visible like a slow heart rate, an excessive amount of salvation from the mouth, teary discharges from the eyes, vomiting and diarrhoea, laboured breathing, muscle tremor, muscle stiffness, weakness and paralysis. Owners can also use activated charcoal that can be found in stores to help resist the poison. The charcoal helps to coat the gut lining to prevent further absorption of the poison, but immediately after they must seek veterinary assistance to get the antidote and necessary supportive medication,” said Makgamatha of Tubatse Veterinary Consulting Rooms.
Security companies and the local police confirmed that they were aware of this cruel method of attempted house burglaries. Neighbourhoods are continuously patrolled 24 hours to apprehend any suspicious persons.
If anyone has information regarding Cherise and Francois’ stolen white Toyota Hilux double cab registration BVW 311 L, call the local police station at 013-231-0200.
