CREDIT: RACHEL BALKWILL
Balkwill's dog, Josey, is more than a pet, she is family as are most pets for most families; make sure to protect your pet from eating something poisonous when walking outside.

Anyone who has ever owned a pet knows what valuable members of the family they are. As such it can be upsetting when something happens to them.

The owner of Wriggley, a 70-pound Goldendoodle, learned this the tough way after the dog had to be rushed to the vets on Jan. 19.

What was meant to be a routine walk at Chesham Park in northwest London turned sour when the dog ate something appearing to be stuffing and within 40 minutes became unresponsive.

Dogs have a tendency to try and eat anything they can get their mouths on.

This can be problematic when they don’t realize that something they’re eating is poisonous, toxic or worse if something laced with poison is intentionally left outside.

As pet parents, similarly to parents of children, it is our responsibility to keep our fur babies safe, not only from themselves, but also from anything out in the world that could harm them.

While Wriggley has since recovered, the incident left many pet owners shaken.

There has been no confirmation on the type of poison ingested or whether it was intentionally placed in the park or not.

It is a chilling thought however that there could be someone trying to poison pets in London.

Rachel Balkwill, a Public Relations and Corporate Communications post-graduate student at Fanshawe, recounted how she was at a gathering with friends when the news spread of the incident and it caused discomfort and worry for the pet owners in the room.

“I was sitting around with friends, who just so happen to have two dogs of their own, which they had just brought to the dog park earlier that day. Needless to say we were immediately alarmed. Fortunately they were not at the same park where the incident occurred but we were without a doubt still highly concerned.”

The event led London police to issue a warning for pet owners and parents of small children not to let them eat anything unknown.

Lucie Langevin-Neil, a registered veterinarian technician and hospital manager of Southside Animal Clinic responded to the events of Jan. 19 saying that it is “sad and unfortunate” that pet owners need to be so careful about these kinds of situations.

While Southside Animal Clinic, located at 1509 Commissioners Rd. E in London, was not the vet clinic Wriggley visited for treatment, they offer advice for any pet owners who are concerned about keeping their pets safe.

Langevin-Neil suggested that owners do not let this incident stop them from taking their animals for walks outdoors.

By keeping the dog on a leash during walks it allows the owner to get to the dog quickly if they begin to eat something.

If at an off leash park, she suggested keeping a close eye on your pet, especially if at a newer area or fearful that there could be suspicious food nearby.

Langevin-Neil stressed that as soon as a pet is acting in anyway abnormal to contact your veterinarian immediately so both the pet owners and vet can assess if the pet requires medical attention.

If you catch your pet ingesting something that could be potentially toxic and they do not ingest all of it, bring the remainder to the clinic with you so the veterinarian is able to quickly understand how to appropriately treat your pet.

By being vigilant and quick acting, pet parents can protect their fur children and ensure many more days filled with wagging tails and slobbery kisses.