A terrible incident occurred recently in North Carolina in the United States.
Denise Mintz and Melissa Martin, owners of three beautiful puppies, had to say their final goodbye to their pets after a serious case of blue green algae infection killed all three of the animals.
The incident took place on Thursday night, when the owners had gone for a brisk walk alongside the pond situated in Wilmington.
The owners allowed the pups to enter the water body for a quick swim. With 15 minutes of getting in the water, one of the pups, a West Highland Terrier named Abby, started having a seizure. Upon noticing, Martin and Mintz immediately took the dog to the nearest veterinary hospital.
Another one of the dogs, named Izzy, also started having seizures upon arrival at the hospital. The last of three, Harpo, a mixed breed doodle, eventually fell ill and showed symptoms of liver failure. All three of the dogs died by the next day.
With their pets gone, Martin and Mintz posted a sad and emotional post on Facebook, stating that it was a brutal incident that took place and they wish this event teaches other pet owners about letting their pets near water bodies.
The owners plan to change the situation, with warning sings being posted around such places with risks of infection or such poisoning. The two have started a fund on GoFundMe to raise money for educating people about this deadly bacteria. Till now they have raised up to $2700.
The Health and Human Services department of North Carolina states that the blue green algae flourishes during hot weather, and no cure for treating infected dogs has been found yet.
In most cases, infection leads to eventual death. Moreover, it is tricky to notice whether a water body is filled with blue green algae or not. Usually it forms a slimy film or layer on top of the body, but in some cases, they hardly show any physical evidence.
Thus, in order to stay safe, humans and pets alike should stay away form water bodies which have bad odour or look a little strange.
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