Warning - dog poisoning risk in Nunhead cemetery

[kenriise]

My dog nearly died this weekend.

A week or so ago, she was badly sick after eating something on the compost heap at the top of the hill in the cemetery. On Friday she did it again (I couldn't stop her in time). This time, 24 hours later she was in animal hospital in danger of her life having vomited blood. She has been incredibly weak and on a drip, but thankfully as of this morning is looking like recovering.

I told the vet what happened and she said they had had SIX other dogs in THIS WEEKEND with the same symptoms who ALSO walked their dog in the cemetery. There are surely many other vets in the area experiencing similar intakes.

I can't say for certain the compost pile is the cause, but it does strongly seem like there is something amiss in that cemetery. The 'compost heap' I refer to is just down the hill from the bench at the top that has the view of St Paul's

Our vet is calling the cemetery and the council. I have emailed Friends of Nunhead Cemetery. Please take note and warn other dog walkers until this is resolved.

[katekate]

Oh god, thanks for letting us know. I never let my dog eat anything on a stroll - you never know what you can find on streets these days. I hope your dog will eventually recover and get back to full health <3

[edcam]

How awful. I do hope she makes a full recovery.

[Sue]

What is put on the compost heap?

I'm wondering if it is plants which have been sprayed with weedkiller?

[kenriise]

I just had this back from Friends of Nunhead Cemetery:

I think that you may be referring to the bark mulch pile on the West Hill

path which has been placed there by Southwark Council's contractors on site.

I am not aware of any compost heaps as such on site. As you say, however,

there may be another cause for your dog's illness as certain plants or other

materials may be responsible. It is even possible that the cause lays

outwith the cemetery boundaries. It would perhaps be helpful for the Council

to know which vet has reported similar instances of sickness.

I am copying this response to the appropriate borough officer to investigate

further.

[kenriise]

I've connected Southwark Council with the vet to investigate further

It *may* be nothing at all to do with the cemetery, but either way I just want to ensure nothing dangerous for dogs is unwittingly accessible

[bigsis]

I have just read an article about a couple dogs that have eaten fly argaric and been very ill - and sadly one who died, on Woodbury Common in Exeter recently. I wonder if it's the same reason.

[Sue]

It's certainly the fungus/toadstool season, and many of them are poisonous.

They could well be growing on a compost heap.

Could the vet do some sort of toxicology test, or would that be prohibitively expensive?

[Mattd1979]

I tweeted Southwark council about this earlier, this is what they said:

We don't believe the small composting area to be the cause of the problem but we will be removing this material as soon as possible 1/2

2/2 The responsibility for the care and associated health of dogs remains with their owners.

[Penguin68]

A bark mulch would be a likely growing medium for fungi. Depending on the size of your dog a relatively small amount which might not be too harmful to human adults could well be so to a small dog. Fungi can often look (and indeed, to a dog) smell attractive. Truffles are hunted out by dogs. Outwith the intentional placing of poison, the advice - 'it's your responsibility' - seems fair.

[nxjen]

Very sorry to learn about your sick dog. Seems like there were similar incidents in Peckham Rye Park, a year ago, the same time of year

http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,1731903,page=1

[Lee Scoresby]

Multiple instances of very severe illness are reported among dog walkers and owners on Peckham Rye. The common factor is always a visit to Nunhead Cemetery.

"Outwith" (Penguin68 is evidently Scots), that is to say, excluding "the intentional placing of poison." Well, do not exclude this possibility. Just in practical terms, consider the mechanism most capable of affecting scores of dogs: fungi from one small compost heap, or toxic material being calculatedly distributed along paths there? Dogs will sometimes consume fungi it is true, but they are generally very cautious dining at nature's 'salad bar'. What they do wolf down without hesitation is scraps of junk food - which would be an extremely effective bait.

"Fair" certainly does not properly describe Southwark's pronouncement that "It's your responsibility". This 3-word raspberry is actually a very partial, self-serving and complacent claim by a local authority which has allowed itself, once again, to waste considerable time, effort and (our) money pursuing yet another pointless and dishonest jihad against dogs and their owners.

And what of those preposterous attempts by leading figures in the Friends Of Nunhead Cemetery to prevent dog walking there? This has been very widely witnessed and discussed by local owners and walkers.

Is it possible - just as Brexit 'gives permission' for racist attacks - that these dismal municipal shennanigans could conceivably enourage some sick or vicious person to set poison?

Southwark's words are not even consistent with their actions: if the compost is not the problem, why are they removing it?

The claim is that weedkiller isn't used at Nunhead Cemetery. Well, maybe. One local vet has had to give up urban beekeeping after her hives (located in Peckham) were totally annihilated by a Southwark contractor merrily spraying pesticide. So who knows?

Myself, I would find two sorts of further posts very helpful:

- Specific reports of canine illness and poisoning, and vets' reported comments.

- From a toxicologist or vet, the symptoms of different kinds of poisoning in dogs: from fungi, pesticides, warfarin, etc etc.

Lee Scoresby

[edcam]

A slightly overblown analysis there from Lee Scoresby but I can't disagree. This sounds highly suspect to me. Yes, Southwark Council, of course dog owners are ultimately responsible for their pets but if hazardous/toxic materials are lying around in public areas, it's cause for concern for more than just dog owners.

If the answer is more sinister then it needs to be investigated.

[Lee Scoresby]

Agree or not, edcam, spare us the each-way punt. Shying away from saying it out loud and straight - and getting angry about it - has brought this country, at all levels, to its present ludicrous, toxic, disfunctional state of public administration.

SouthwarkLovesDogs (www.southwarklovesdogs.org) has now raised the funds to test this illness. Results will be made known on social media.

Generally, please be aware of this great self-organised citizens' defence group and consider supporting it practically ([email protected]). One might think that we should not need defending against 'our own' local authority. One might think that local authority could bestir itself to conduct this forensic analysis itself. "Overblown"?

Meanwhile, the poisoner wins, no? We are all keeping our pets way from NC. Cui bono? (Or THINKS they benefit.)

LS

[edcam]

That was hardly an "each way punt". Perhaps you find less wanky language hard to comprehend?

[Take Note]

I'm with edcam on this one. Totally over the top, and unnecessarily inflammatory. And btw, there are loads of people still happy to walk their dogs in the cemetery - but thanks.

[edhistory]

Dog walker allows dog to eat stuff from compost heap.

[indya]

If David Cuffe (of the animal hospital) warns dog owners about Nunhead Cemetery at present, I, for one, am happy to follow his advice.

[KidKruger]

That area in NC has now been fenced-in.

[ianr]

Some of the previous EDF reports:

2010 Peckham Rye & Beckenham Place Parks http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,401584,411850 and http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,411772

2010 Peckham Rye Park http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,410992,415450#msg-415450

2012 Peckham Rye & Dulwich Parks http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,982042

2015 Peckham Rye Park http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,1546811

2015 Tooting Common http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?20,1476339,1476384#msg-1476384

2016 Peckham Rye Park http://www.eastdulwichforum.co.uk/forum/read.php?5,1731903