Fury at threat to poison pet dogs in Fleetwood

The handwritten note, which has outraged residents, warned pet lovers to muzzle their canines or face potentially fatal consequences.

Karla Six, whose American bulldog Bruno died after scraps of meat were thrown over her garden fence, said she fears the two incidents are linked.

She said: “I’ve got a bad feeling it’s the same person. Is it possible to have two sick people in the same area, who think along the same lines?”

The 40-year-old, of Heathfield Road, Fleetwood , added: “I would hate to think there’s two people capable of even thinking it, never mind carrying it through.”

Police were called in by a concerned neighbour to investigate the letter, posted to multiple people, and officers were on the street yesterday giving residents advice, a spokesman said.

The error-strewn letter was addressed to ‘my neighbours’ and threatened to report dog owners to the council unless the constant barking stops.

It read: “If that doesn’t work, and you egnor [sic] my request and the problems goes on, I will have to take drastic measur’s [sic] and throw some treats over your fence for them.

“Maybe that will keep them quite [sic] for good.”

Karla, whose Weimaraner Maddie also fell ill but recovered, said there is a problem with dogs barking at all hours on the street but hers do not.

“I have seven children and they spoil the dogs something rotten,” she added. “The dogs are like human children – there’s no way I would leave them outside.”

She said Bruno became lethargic and went off his food at the end of last month .He died an ‘awful death’ on her 21-year-old daughter Roxanne’s bed 36 hours later. No post mortem examination was carried out, but the symptoms shown by Bruno are consistent with liver failure, caused by anti-freeze poisoning.

Karla said she searched the garden and found scraps of meat, which she said smelt of anti-freeze – as did Bruno’s breath. She added: “It sounds extreme but we have been dealing with what feels like the loss of a child.”

Earlier this month, a cat in Fleetwood died after drinking anti-freeze, with Ian Wright from Mount Vets warning: “They only need to consume a very small amount for it to cause very serious damage. Anti-freeze poisonings are very rarely malicious and are more often down to improper storage.”

Rachel Smith, senior veterinary surgeon at the PDSA animal hospital in Blackpool, moved to reassure residents.

She said: “We have not noticed a sudden uptake in cases of animals we think may have been poisoned.”