Chané van der Merwe
LIMPOPO – About 15 dogs were poisoned over the past two weeks during attempted house burglaries at Elephants Hill and Aloeridge in Burgersfort.
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 sausages stuffed with pesticide.
Theft at Aloeridge on 15 September
Around 02:00 we heard the dogs barking excessively in the street in front of our home in Aloeridge West said Cherise Oosthuizen.
“I checked on our premises, but could not find anything suspicious and I went back to bed.”
“When my husband, Francois, and I woke up at 08:00, we realised our bakkie was stolen out of the yard and our fox terrier was vomiting severely. The dog died.
“Shortly after this, she collapsed and died. We found pieces of sausage filled with pesticide. We reported the stolen vehicle to the police, but no suspects were apprehended yet.
According to her husband the thieves knew exactly how to get the vehicle out 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 them again.”
He says the empty veld across from their home is overgrown, making it impossible to spot anyone hiding there. “We reported it to the municipality, but nothing has been done about it. This is really becoming a problem for us,” he concluded.
3 Incidents at Elephants Hill on 15 September
Three other homes were also targeted last Tuesday morning in Elephants Hill. Jenny Oosthuizen and Belinda Anne Hall own three guard dogs. They found one dead and pieces of sausages in their yard. Their cat also died. Dr Florence Makgamatha, a veterinarian from Tubatse Veterinary Consulting Rooms, 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 the vet. She saved both their lives, but our other dog and cat suffered horrific deaths caused by heartless criminals,” Hall said.
Two other houses in the neighbourhood were also targeted, with one household’s two dogs killed in this manner. The dog at the other home did not eat the poisoned food.
The type of poison used
Makgamatha handled five poisoning cases during the past two weeks.
“The poison they use is a carbamate insecticide which is the active substance in various pesticides. When the animals are poisoned, there are a few symptoms visible like a slow heart rate, an excessive amount of salivation from the mouth, teary discharges from the eyes, vomiting and diarrhoea, laboured breathing, muscle tremor, muscle stiffness, weakness and paralysis. Owners can 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, owners must seek veterinary assistance to get the antidote and necessary supportive medication,” Makgamatha said.
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 a day to apprehend any suspicious persons.
If anyone has information regarding the stolen bakkie, a white Toyota Hilux double cab with registration number BVW 311 L, contact the local police station at (013) 231 0200.
