Alleged attempts of suspected dog poisonings in the Ribble Valley sparks police investigation

Police are advising dog owners, gamekeepers and farmers to be extra vigilant after reports of suspected dog poisonings in rural Ribble Valley beauty spots.
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The warning comes after claims that cheese allegedly laced with poison was discovered near a popular walking spot.

The discovery follows rumours which have surfaced on Facebook, where in some cases chunks of processed meat laced with poison has deliberately been left in areas such as Brungerley Park, Pendle Hill, The Coe and most recently on Grindleton Fell.. Now, concerned locals and dog owners are desperate to find out who the culprit is.

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A Clitheroe dog owner, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "This all became apparent to me around two years ago when Brungerley Park had a makeover and all of a sudden people were finding meat laced with poison situated suspiciously within the grounds.

A pet dog similar to this whippet tragically died earlier this year of suspected poisoningA pet dog similar to this whippet tragically died earlier this year of suspected poisoning
A pet dog similar to this whippet tragically died earlier this year of suspected poisoning

"Since then I’ve been appalled to hear that this activity has also been discovered on Pendle Hill, Grindleton Fell, The Coe and more recently; cheese with a blue substance and sausages/minced meat laced with pellets/poison laid out along popular paths. In some cases, where people’s dogs have unfortunately consumed these packages, this has resulted in fatal consequences, with dogs ended up seriously ill or worse, having to be put down.

“The people (or people’s) behind this clearly have no idea that some people’s dogs are their whole lives, it’s entirely cruel and unjust. I also dread to think the consequences if a small child was to digest one of these traps too. As if we don’t have enough problems with Covid-19, exercising ourselves and our dogs whilst enjoying the local beauty spots is now more important than ever. Keeping our dogs and wildlife safe is crucial."

Meanwhile, a heartbroken dog owner, whose beloved pet whippet cross died of suspected poisoning earlier this year, spoke of her shock and devastation.

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The 62-year-old Clitheroe woman, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: "I was taking my late dad's whippet cross dog, Pip, for a walk around Coplow Woods near Pimlico. He was on a leash when he began nibbling on something dumped in the woodland. Once we arrived home, he was sick and breathing very heavily so I rushed him to the vets. I honestly thought I would be collecting Pip later that day to bring him home, instead the vets rang to say there is nothing they can do and he will have to be put down. He was severely ill and couldn't survive. The vets confirmed he had been poisoned."

She went onto say: "Pip's death has caused a lot of sadness, upset and devastation and I am urging dog owners to keep their pets on a lead in suspected areas, within sight and under control."

Police are investigating the reports.

Sgt Kevin Day, of Clitheroe Police, said: "We have been made aware of the most recent episode on Grindleton fell and at this time there are no enquiries available to us as there are no known witnesses and no CCTV.

"It is our understanding that the cheese had been given to a local vet with a view to having a toxicology test on it and I have tasked one of our patrols with making contact with the dog owner to gather more information. Once we know for sure that the cheese was laced we will consider our next course of action. At this time we ask all pet owners, Gamekeepers and farmers to remain vigilant and report anything that they consider to be suspicious on 101."

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Mr Matt Riding, acting head of environmental health at Ribble Valley Borough Council, said: “We haven’t received any direct complaints of poisoned foodstuffs on dog-walking routes and would advise members of the public to report such incidents to the police without delay.”