Dog owners in Clare are being warned to remained vigilant following the death of one canine in Clonlara last week.
Gardaí in Ardnacrusha are currently investigating an incident in which a rescue dog died from ‘strychnine poisoning’, it has been claimed.
Greek native and UL lecturer in Biological Sciences, Dr Ioannis Zabetakis was with his wife walking their two dogs, Suki and Cyrus along the old canal in Clonlara when he noticed Suki was unable to walk properly and an excess amount of saliva was forming in the dog’s mouth.
They immediately drove to the vets in Killaloe but on their way the dog had died following a seizure. Dr Zabetakis who moved to Ireland in 2015 from Athens bringing Suki with him, having picked up the abandoned dog six years ago.
In an interview with The Limerick Leader, Ioannis said “99%, according to their opinion, which is what we said to the police, that it was strychnine poisoning, because of the rigor mortis. Suki’s body was so stiff, you couldn’t bend her front leg, and that is characteristic of strychnine poisoning”.
It follows a notice issued in September by the Gardaí to pet owners to be vigilant when walking anywhere between Ardnacrusha and Clonlara Bridges. This came in the wake of a series of reported dog poisonings. A garda source is quoted as saying that the vet had confirmed it was a poisoning that caused Suki’s death.