Beach poison hit dogs two months ago

Jennifer Leigh with new puppy Polly. Her previous dog, George, died after eating scraps on Narrow Neck Beach. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

Reports of dogs becoming seriously ill at the beach reached authorities almost two months ago, but officials thought they were dealing with an isolated incident.

Daniel Fernandez called Auckland City Council in early June after his miniature schnauzer Otto suffered serious seizures after walking on Kohimarama beach. Another dog was reported seriously ill on the same beach about the same time, and the council alerted health authorities.

The Herald understands a council officer and a public health officer checked the beach where the dogs became ill but found nothing.

They cleared seaweed from the beach as a precaution, but, when they did not receive any further reports, concluded that the danger had passed - perhaps after a deliberate poisoning.

Dogs were purposely poisoned last year when sausages laced with a blue substance were left in Auckland parks.

But authorities believe a natural toxin is more likely to be behind the latest illnesses.

Stomach contents of a beagle that died after walking on Narrow Neck beach in early July were sent to MAF for testing. But it was not until a second dog died three weeks later on Monday after walking on the same beach that a public warning was issued.

Dog owners were angry they were not warned sooner, with reports of dogs becoming ill at Waiheke Island, Browns Bay and Karaka Beach in the Eastern suburbs.

But the clinical director of the Auckland Regional Public Health Service, Dr Julia Peters said its job was to protect human health and it was not until Monday that health services became aware of a possible threat to people.

She was not aware of a health officer visiting Kohimarama in June.

The health service learned this week that sea creatures as well as dogs were getting ill and it might take some time to establish a cause, she said. The service issued a warning the next day.

Mr Fernandez applauded North Shore City Council for raising the alert on Monday but said signs should have been put up on his beach much earlier.

Auckland City Council was putting up signs at Kohimarama and other beaches last night, warning people not to touch the water, walk dogs, take children there or gather shellfish at beaches in the Hauraki Gulf.

MAF said it had investigated the illnesses or deaths of six dogs - four from Narrow Neck beach, one from Browns Bay and one from Waiheke Island so far and had more cases to look at. Most dogs reported ill had vomited and quickly recovered but a few developed seizures and died.

Owners say sick dogs lost limb control and were staggering and vomiting.

Jennifer Leigh, whose 21-month-old beagle George died on July 9 after a walk on Narrow Neck beach, said her pet died about 15 minutes after her husband noticing drool coming from its mouth, after it "scavenged" for scraps on the shore.

"He lay down and he just started to lose his faculties ... he had eaten stuff [off the beach] before and vomited ... but [this time] he died," she said.

The North Shore council said a yellowish substance seen was probably pollen but it would be checked.