A Merseyside family has been left ‘baffled’ after their dog was poisoned while out on a walk in the park.
Alex Lauro, from Wirral, said he is ‘confused’ as to why anyone would want to ‘hurt a pet’.
The 25-year-old’s family dog, Tess, was left needing urgent veterinary treatment after eating something contaminated with poison in Royden Park, in Frankby.
He told the ECHO : "It's just horrible, it's one of those things you read about it on Twitter and Facebook but you think it will never happen to you.
"I’m upset that someone thinks that this is the right thing to do just because they don’t like dogs or something.
"I’m confused if anything, why would it ever cross your mind to hurt a pet?
"That’s not a rational thought process, people love their animals and we are a nation of pet lovers, so it just baffles me why you'd wanna hurt them?"
The 15-year-old border collie almost didn’t survive the ordeal, which happened on January 10.
Alex said Tess became ill around 24 hours after her walk and started panting and shaking.
They took her to the vets but because her condition was so bad they feared the worst and said their goodbyes.
He said: "Taking her off to the vets it looked as though she might not be coming back from it because she was so fragile and broken.
"We said all our goodbyes which was horrible, we thought we weren't going to see her again. But the vet did an amazing job."
The vet who saved Tess’ life said the toxicology report revealed she was poisoned with a mixture of weed killer and artificial sugar.
Has your pets ever been poisoned or hurt by others before? let us know your experiences in the comments below
The family have also been left with a huge vet bill, which they estimate comes in at around £1,500.
Alex posted about his experience on a Wirral Facebook page to warn dog walkers in the area and found that others claimed to have had similar experiences.
He said: "Unfortunately we had another lady who said her dog had exactly the same symptoms and they'd been for a walk in Royden Park, so it seems as though it has happened to others as well."
Find your nearest vaccination centre
Receive newsletters with the latest news, sport and what's on updates from the Liverpool ECHO by signing up here
The post on Facebook read: "For those walking their dogs in Royden Park some sick waste of human skin is leaving poison in food for dogs again.
"Unfortunately our dog has eaten some and is now being monitored in the vets overnight and we’re praying she pulls through. Please be careful out there."
It had more than 300 likes and comments and 2700 shares.
