SINGAPORE — On Sunday evening (Oct 8), an empty Kovan field which is usually popular with dog walkers was eerily quiet. The reason: Signs warning that two dogs are suspected to have died of poison ingested there.
In another Instagram story on Sunday night, Palo’s owner who goes by the user handle @bernedoodlesage, said: “It’s a nightmare I wouldn’t wish on anyone.
“As you can imagine, it’s a hard time for us. We miss Palo dearly and all the light he brought into our lives.”
Palo’s owner asked people to not speculate on the alleged poisoning, and for privacy during this time. The owner also urged dog owners to be alert to the signs of poisoning and to take note of where their nearest emergency vet hospital is.
The second dog believed to have died from poisoning linked to the field is Sunkiss.
In a Telegram message, Sunkiss’ owner Jay Lee said his dog was barking hysterically and went through “a whole ordeal of excruciating seizures” lasting 40 minutes.
“By the time (Sunkiss) arrived (at the Veterinary Emergency and Specialty hospital), he no longer had a heartbeat,” said Mr Lee.
When TODAY visited the field on Sunday, a wooden board with the words “dog poison” was written with warnings of “multiple dogs dead” and “suspected dog poison”.
It also listed other roads nearby as potential areas where the dog poison might have been.
A resident living opposite the field told TODAY that he had seen several “official-looking people” inspecting the field. He said he suspected they found nothing wrong as they had merely walked around the field before leaving.
The signs had drawn the attention of several passersby, most of whom are residents in the area. They said the field is usually crowded and noisy, and the quiet weekend was abnormal.
“It’s just like Covid-19 again, where there’s no one at all,” said one.
While they may not be pet owners, the alleged poisoning is a cause of concern.
One such resident is 42-year-old Lex Chen, who would often visit the field as his two young children enjoyed watching the dogs run about.
“It’s quite scary because we don’t know what poisoned the dogs,” he said. “We have young children, what if they accidentally come into contact with the poison.”
The construction manager added that should the poisoning cases be confirmed, he hoped the person responsible would be caught soon.
“If they can poison dogs, who knows who or what they can do,” said Mr Chen.
In response to TODAY’s queries, the Animal and Veterinary Service (AVS), part of the National Parks Board, said it is aware of the social media posts and is in touch with the dog owners.
“AVS is investigating the matter with the Singapore Land Authority,” said both agencies in a joint statement on Monday.