'Who poisoned our dog?' Meir Hay family criticise response of RSPCA and police

THE owner of a dog that died after eating rat poison thrown into her garden has criticised the response of the RSPCA and police.

Asha Ellerton's Alaskan Malamute Kenzo was just eight months old when he suffered an 'horrific' death, leaving her family devastated.

Mrs Ellerton reported the matter to the RSPCA and Staffordshire Police, but was told by both that there was nothing they could do.

She now wants to warn people to be vigilant after hearing of similar incidents in her neighbourhood.

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Mrs Ellerton, of Deanscroft Way, Meir Hay, said Kenzo's condition rapidly declined after he was taken ill.

The 40-year-old said: "In the morning you could tell he was feeling off. Later on he still wasn't right and he felt cold. We took him to the emergency vets. The vet said he was really poorly. He was bleeding internally and passed out."

Kenzo died that night, and vets told Mrs Ellerton and husband Darren that he had eaten rat poison. She said: "Our vets told us afterwards that for what it did to Kenzo, at the size he was, he would have to have eaten a kilo of poison. That's how I know it wasn't something he ate while we were out for a walk.

"We have got a gate at the side of our house. Whoever did it must have thrown it over into the garden. I get on with everyone in our street and the neighbours were mortified."

Mrs Ellerton, who works in finance at the University Hospital of Birmingham, called police the same day, and later contacted the RSPCA.

She said: "I was told by the police that it was not a criminal offence. Any animal that is killed purposely is a criminal offence. The RSPCA said that until they knew who had done it there was nothing they could do.

"I stood on my doorstep telling people with dogs to be careful because I didn't want it to happen again. I have heard about two other dogs being poisoned in the area since. These horrible people need to know what they are doing. What I saw in that vets was horrific. I would not even put that poison down for rats."

Mrs and Mrs Ellerton's sons Jordan, aged 15, and 10-year-old Cameron were also devastated by Kenzo's death on December 15.

Sandon High School pupil Jordan said: "He would never have harmed anyone or bother anyone. For someone to kill him was just cruel. I wonder how they'd feel if they had to go through it."

Cameron, below, a pupil at Gladstone High School, said: "He was a nice dog. I felt sick when it happened."

A Staffordshire Police spokesman said: "We received a report from a resident of Deanscroft Way, Meir Hay, that their dog had died after suspected poisoning.

"They said they were not sure when or where the poisoning had occurred and wanted to make local officers aware. Officers were informed of the incident."

An RSPCA spokesman said the incident had been recorded. "We find any information regarding potential poisoning very worrying," she said. "The incident was reported to the RSPCA and logged with our staff"