A devastated mum has told how her Border Collie has died after drinking water from a lough near their home, in similar circumstances to two other dogs.
Claire Gillespie said her family’s nine-month-old pup Harley died after drinking water from Lough Neagh in Country Antrin, Northern Ireland.
Dogs Winnie and Milo, also passed within an hour of being walked in the same area by their families last May. Two further dogs are thought to have died after being walked in the area, reports Belfast Live.
Claire is now calling on environmental investigators to test the water again, after an inquiry in 2022 found no toxins in the water.
Harley, “was a perfectly healthy dog who had all her vaccinations'' but collapsed by the roadside on her way home from walking at Rea’s Wood where she had drunk some water, Claire said.
She added: “It’s not just a coincidence – there has to be something there.”
Her son, Conor, has been left “traumatised” by the death, after taking Harley out for a walk on Friday, May 19.
Claire, from Antrim, said: “He came off night duty and walked her and he feels responsible but he couldn’t have known there was anything in the water. I saw the posts and then I heard the water was clear.”
Claire said Harley drunk from the Loughshore around 9am on May 19 and collapsed around 35 minutes later.
She added: “She went downhill quickly. Conor told me she turned and looked at him and he thought there was something wrong with her eye but he thought she might have been stung.
“He kept walking as she was still pulling and they hit the roundabout at the bottom of the Dublin Road about 9.20am. At that point he noticed her leg starting to wobble and then she just sat down and rolled over on to her side.
“He waved, trying to stop cars and he just panicked and jumped out into the middle of the road and waved this couple down. The vet is two minutes up the road. From she collapsed to getting to the vet was less than five minutes.
"He rang me at 9.30am and I was at the vets for 9.45am and Harley had passed away by 9.50am. It was so quick - she didn’t have a chance. Whatever it was, it just took her.”
Claire said she has since spoken to Winnie’s owner, who shared a very similar story. She added: "We are all heartbroken.
“This is our first dog... you get so attached, they are just part of the family. She was such a good wee dog. She was so smart and such a loving animal.
“I want some sort of justice. If there had been a signpost there Harley would not have been near that water. I would be happy if it was cordoned off and there were signs... saying this water could be toxic to dogs.
“He had her on the lead the whole time so she wasn’t running into the bushes or wherever. I think it’s the water. There were cases last year. Maybe it was a one-off, but this is a recurrence practically a year to the date and there has to be an explanation.
“These perfectly healthy dogs are not just dropping dead - there must be something there. I would like that she’s the last wee dog to die.”
Claire said her daughter Callie, 15, and her partner Ian are also heartbroken by Harley's death, which she hopes "will not be in vain".
A petition has been launched calling for DAERA to investigate. DAERA has been contacted for comment by Belfast Live.
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