Dog dies after allegedly being poisoned by neighbour in Canterbury while another other critically ill, owners say

Clyde, left, and Bonno were allegedly poisoned by a neighbour.
Clyde, left, and Bonno were allegedly poisoned by a neighbour. Photo credit: Facebook/Brooke Wallis

A pet dog has died from suspected poisoning in north Canterbury, in what its owners say was a deliberate act by their neighbour.

Clyde and Bonno, two poodle-Pomeranians, were found on Friday in a holding pen on the alleged poisoner's property with their legs bound by bailing twine held upside down, owner Brooke Wallis said on Facebook. The dogs had been out chasing rabbits when it's believed they were contained by the neighbour.

When they were cut free, Bonno couldn't walk properly and appeared to be brain-damaged, Wallis said. The dogs were rushed to the vet and while Clyde was traumatised but not injured, Bonno had suspected spinal nerve damage.

When they returned from the vet on Friday night, to their property in the rural village of Cust, Wallis and her husband then found the alleged culprit in their driveway, she said.

The next morning their daughter noticed something suspicious and alerted her mother. 

"At 9am the next morning, while I was on the phone to the vet, our daughter came into the house from taking Clyde to the toilet and asked 'mum, did you feed the dogs mince'.

"I said 'no, why?' And she told me that Clyde was just eating balls of mince and it appeared to have powder and tablets in them. I ran outside to see and collected all the remaining evidence. 

"In the mince, was an aluminium cut off from the medication with the words 'PHEN'," Wallis wrote on Facebook.

She said she immediately called the vet back who suspected the medication could be phenobarbitone - used for epilepsy treatment.

"Within half an hour, Clyde had lost his back legs and was clearly very disoriented.

"His symptoms looked like Bonno's only Bonno must have been poisoned while at the culprits home the night prior.

"I rushed both boys to the vet, they ran bloods and started treatment immediately."

Wallis said sadly, Clyde died on Saturday night while Bonno remains in a critical condition.

"We have been a victim of complete unnecessary hatred, abuse, and now trespass and intent to kill our precious boys.

"Everyone should know that this barbaric act has happened within our community."

In a statement to Newshub, a police spokesperson confirmed two reports of animal welfare offences against dogs in Cust were received on Friday and Saturday.

"Enquiries are ongoing, however, no arrests have been made or charges brought at this stage."