Wigan dog owner issues urgent waste plea after rotten meat kills beloved pet

David O’Hara’s three-year-old Jack Russell, Barney, was put to sleep after falling ill following a walk in the woods near Hindley Medical Centre. Barney had followed the scent of meat after being let off his lead, but became very unwell later in the day.

He was rushed to the vets but the poisonous effect of the food could not be undone, and David made the heartbreaking decision to put Barney to sleep last Sunday.

David, who also owns two other Jack Russells, and last year had all three incorporated into his pub sign at The Hare and Hounds, is keen to avoid any further tragedies.

He said: “Where I walk my dogs is a little wood. I keep seeing waste food there, beef, chicken, stuff like that. What’s happened is that I let him off his lead and he ran off and must have ate some of this food.

“It made him seriously ill. I had to rush him to the vets in Bury. He was in there from Wednesday but unfortunately, he was that ill that I had to put him to sleep.”

He added: “Barney was the youngest, that’s what is really hurting me. I’ve got two others, one is eight and one is 10. But Barney never had a life. It’s just a waste.”

David spent £2,500 trying to save Barney, but his concern now is not the cost to him, but the danger that other pet owners and, more importantly, litter bugs should be aware of.

“I’ve got two other Jack Russells, and last Saturday I went walking with them through the woods again. There was another big pile of waste food behind a tree, and one of my dogs tried going for it.

“This needs highlighting, people can’t just keep leaving waste out. It’s killing our dogs, I don’t want anybody else to go through this.”

David has tried to catch out anyone dumping litter in the woods by walking the area at night, and has vowed to report anyone he sees.

He went on: “The general public should realise that even bread can kill animals.

“I’ve spoken to some people who have been doing it. They think they’re just feeding the animals, because of the cold weather.

“But they don’t realise you can’t go feeding wild animals. And when the food goes off, dogs are eating it. And it’s not just mine, I know of other people’s dogs who have fallen seriously ill in the last few months.”

A wide range of information on what to do if you think your dog has been poisoned is available online at www.rspca.org.uk

Reports of waste and litter can be reported to Wigan Council online at www.wigan.gov.uk or using the council’s Report It app.

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