London, Ontario Chesham Heights Park Dog-Poisonings Continue Unabated

Police in London, Ontario are concerned that a serial dog-poisoner may be on the loose in the community after the second dog in less than a month has fallen ill after eating food found at Chesham Heights Park, according to CTV. Residents in the area with dogs that became ill after visiting the park have been advised to make reports with the police.

The first dog to be poisoned in January was said to have become ill after eating some type of food tainted with the drug Dronabinol, which is synthetic THC, the active component of marijuana. The pharmaceutical is prescribed to those with AIDS and those who have undergone chemotherapy and its use is reported to have been discontinued in the London area since 2013. The veterinarian who cared for the first dog was shocked at the amount of the drug that was found in its system.

“I would say this is not accidental,” Dr. Paul Francis was quoted. “I don’t know how you would ever come up with the amount of this drug to make this dog as sick as it was.”

A second dog has now been identified and the police would like the public to make reports if their dogs became sick. Concerns that someone may be intentionally poisoning the animals abound. Dog owners can contact the London Police Service at 519-661-5670.

The food eaten by the first dog was said to have resembled stuffing, according to the initial report on the London dog poisonings made by CTV. As a precaution, the London Police Service has reminded parents with small children and other pets to pay extra attention to anything they may find left outside in parks or playgrounds.

The first dog that was poisoned at Chesham Park was found unconscious before it was taken to a veterinarian where it had its stomach pumped, something that dog owners would hope to spare their pets, and parents their children.

Chesham Heights Park is located at 328 Castlegrove Boulevard.

Sadly, news of dogs becoming poisoned after visiting parks is not uncommon. In October, 2015, dog treats and potatoes tainted with Valium were thought to have been consumed by dogs at the Clayton Dog Off-Leash Park in Surrey, British Columbia. In 2014, dogs at Strathcona Park in Vancouver became ill after ingesting rat poison, according to Global News. Then again, in November last year, a dog died after eating “poison kibble” left outside in Vaughn, Ontario. The kibble was reported to have been treated with glycol, a component of antifreeze, according to the CBC.

“We’re urging the public to come forward with any additional information,” London Police Constable Sandasha Bough was quoted with regard to the Chesham Park dog-poisonings. “If your dog become ill, make sure that you go to the veterinarian right away and contact the London police so we can put the pieces together and see if these cases are linked in any way.”

Pets are seen as being constantly at risk from accidental poisoning, according to WebMD. Chocolate, prescription medications, flea and tick medications, insecticides, and household cleaners are listed as items that dogs routinely ingest and sicken themselves with. Xylitol, which is found in sugar-free gum, grapes, raisins, some types of nuts, and alcohol, as well as plants, such as tulips, daffodils, azaleas, and rhododendrons are reported as being toxic for dogs too.

London, Ontario is located in the agricultural southwestern portion of the province and is home to the University of Western Ontario, which has produced a veritable who’s who of Canadian luminaries including Liane Davey, Galen Weston, Kevin O’Leary, and many others.

[Photo by Christopher Lee/Getty Images]