Authorities are investigating after four pet dogs died under similar circumstances within a month in the same suburb of one of WA's biggest regional cities.
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Families from Moresby, in outer residential Geraldton, are grieving the sudden, agonising deaths of their pets, with some owners questioning whether the dogs were poisoned.
The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) is investigating the deaths and has urged people in the Moresby area who suspect their dog has been poisoned to report it.
The causes of death are still unknown, with some owners awaiting toxicology reports.
The deaths occurred between August and September.
Moresby resident Greg Finlay said he and his wife Sue witnessed the death of their 18-month-old cattle dog Clancy while at home on their three-acre property.
“What our dog went through, it's just indescribable,” Mr Finlay said.
He said that at around midnight, before Clancy fell ill, the dog went to their front gate, where he may have taken a bait.
Clancy was then vomiting, having seizures, yelping and jaw snapping — which can be symptoms of poisoning from 1080 bait.
Clancy died within two hours.
“I've been through a fair bit in my life and seen a lot of things, but that's the most horrific thing that me and my wife have ever seen and we'll never forget it,” Mr Finlay said.
A fifth dog from Moresby survived after a recent suspected poisoning. In that case, the vet believed the dog had suffered secondary poisoning after eating a rabbit that had died from 1080.
Sodium fluoroacetate, or compound 1080, is a lethal substance commonly used to control rabbits, foxes, wild dogs and feral pigs.
The poison is tasteless and odourless and can be injected into meat or turned into pellets for baiting.
Dogs are also at risk of secondary poisoning if they feed on a poisoned carcass, which can remain toxic until decomposed.
While testing to determine the cause of Clancy's death is ongoing, the death of another Moresby dog, Koda, was confirmed to have not been caused by 1080.
Authorities are now testing to see if Koda ingested strychnine, which is another lethal substance used for pest control of wild dogs and emus in WA.
Both 1080 and strychnine require a permit for pest control use in WA.
Moresby resident Mikayla Norman said their dog Zar died with similar symptoms to Clancy, also while contained in their yard.
“It's not a nice thing to watch your dog go through … it's not only us, there's so many families in the Moresby area,” she said.
The nearby Shire of Chapman Valley last week said it was aware of an alleged domestic pet poisoning by means of 1080 bait in the Dolby Creek area in July.
The ABC has spoken to several dog owners who fear their dogs have been deliberately targeted.
The City of Greater Geraldton said it was not currently running any baiting programs, while the Northern Biosecurity Group, which assists landholders to obtain 1080 permits, said they had not done any baiting of that kind in the Moresby area.
Cause not known
Vet Peter Ricci said there were other substances that could cause similar symptoms to 1080, such as fungal toxins, however, these were rare and not as lethal.
“I haven't heard of any that have acted necessarily like a 1080 and would progress to death,” Dr Ricci said.
He said there were fungi that could cause similar symptoms like gastrointestinal issues, tremors and hyperactivity, but they weren't as fast-acting.
A DPIRD spokesperson said the department was investigating the matter but was unable to provide further details.
DPIRD is urging people with relevant information to report it via AgWatch, accessed online through the Crimestoppers WA website.
WA police confirmed it was aware of the dog deaths.
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