Dogs fed poisoned cake, parks strewn with spiked meat & razor blades in balls – shocking rise of ‘canine killer’ attacks

SNIFFING around the garden, Pomeranians Jaffa and Bear and Chihuahua Bo soon found something worth eating. But the blue substance that the unlucky trio lapped up wasn’t a tasty treat. Instead it was a ‘space cake’ which has been laced with rat poison and cannabis. Adele and Tony Clark had to rush dogs Bo, Jaffa and Bear to the vet after they were poisoned Credit: Steve Allen The couple are profoundly deaf and rely on their dogs to be their ears Credit: Steve Allen When owner Tony Clark, 63, went out to call the dogs back in for their breakfast, he saw them chewing the strange blue pellets and quickly took it away from them before cleaning up what was left on the ground. But minutes later, Jaffa, ten months old, and Bear, two, along with Bo, were staggering around and being sick before collapsing. Tony and his wife Adele rushed their three dogs to the vet where they were told they’d eaten a mix of what appeared to be rat poison and cannabis which could be deadly. The pups are the centre of Tony and Adele’s world, as both are profoundly deaf, meaning they rely on their dogs to be their ears. Devastated Tony, 63, says: “It turned out to be cake mixture and it was all over the garden. I saw that they were eating it and just tried to clear it up. But then they took ill and I realised it must be something poisonous. “Jaffa is only ten months old and he was really poorly. Two of the dogs were critical and we didn’t know if they would pull through because of the rat poison.” The couple, from Stacksteads, Lancashire, had let the dogs outside in the garden at 7am last Monday. Now they fear that a dog killer could be on the loose and other pets could be in danger. Adele, 61, adds: “Those dogs are our lives. We walk them everyday and everybody knows us and them. “We were just devastated – it was awful to watch them be so ill. I just couldn’t stop crying.” Thankfully after emergency treatment and 24 hour observation at the vets all three dogs pulled through But the couple were left with a bill of more than £1,350. Tony says: “We just can’t believe that anybody would try to harm innocent animals like that. They are such good dogs.” The couple have now been left wondering if it was a random attack or if they were targeted because their deafness means that they can’t hear the dogs if they bark in the garden. “But surely if that is the case any reasonable person would put a note through our door, not try to kill our pets,” says Adele. “Because we are deaf our dogs are our ears. We can’t hear them bark but they let us know at night if someone is around as they jump on the bed, and they tell us when someone is knocking on the door. They help keep us safe.” The pair were left devastated by the random attack on their dogs Credit: Steve Allen The couple now won’t let their dogs out in the garden on their own in case more poison is thrown into the garden Credit: Steve Allen Black lab Tokyo had to be brought down Ben Navis after eating cannabis RSPCA advice on what to do if your pet has been poisoned If pet owners suspect poisoning they should seek veterinary treatment immediately with a sample of what the animals has eaten or drunk, or the container, if possible. Signs can be seen anything from 30 minutes after an animal has ingested the substance, though it can be two or three days before signs of kidney failure are seen. Symptoms can include one or several of the following – vomiting, seeming depressed or sleepy, appearing drunk and uncoordinated, seizures, and difficulty breathing. Anyone who is found to have deliberately poisoned an animal can be prosecuted under the Animal Welfare Act 2006. There is more information about poisoning on the RSPCA’s website – http://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/general/poisoning Adele says they have been inundated with goodwill messages on social media from people who are horrified at what has happened. And they have heard anecdotes from other people whose dogs had been poisoned in the past. She says: “We just want to warn people to be on their guard. We don’t want any other dogs to have to go through this trauma. “We thought our animals were safe because we have quite secure fencing. We are now terrified to let them out in the garden unsupervised and are with them at all times. “If anybody has any information please contact the police as whoever did this needs to be stopped before somebody’s dog dies.” Sadly, Bo, Jaffa and Bear aren’t the only victims of deliberate poisoning of canines. Last year, Animal Poison Line dealt with 32,000 calls where owners suspected their pets had been poisoned. And 79.9 per cent of those were about dogs. Its 2025 annual report recorded that the majority of calls were about animals who had ingested drugs (human and veterinary). Earlier this year police issued a warning after a dog fell ill and two foxes died after eating suspected poisoned meat in London parks. The Metropolitan Police said chicken which is believed to have contained toxins had been discovered in both Holland Park and Brompton Cemetery. A dog was reported to have eaten some of the meat and subsequently became “very unwell”, while two foxes were found dead with no obvious signs of injury. Officers believe the meat may have been deliberately placed to harm animals, either targeting foxes or dogs. Dog walker Kris Sikora says owners need to be vigilant when taking pups on walks Credit: BBC Nigel Nicholson’s beloved three dogs were poisoned after eating suspected poison on a walk Credit: BPM Professional dog walker Kris Sikora told the BBC this kind of activity was not unheard of. “In this case, it’s poison meat,” he said. “Before we’ve had toys that have been left around that have been poisoned. The worst one that really shocked me was razor blades being left in tennis balls.” In 2024, two dogs died and another was left seriously ill after eating suspected poison on a walk in Tamworth, Staffordshire. Nigel Nicholson said his Springer Spaniels Roxxi and Poppy picked up the toxin and died, while his other dog Flash had to undergo emergency treatment. In April this year several dogs fell ill after ingesting what appeared to be rat poison that had been scattered across a popular beauty spot. Police said they had received numerous reports of dogs falling ill after walks in Parkhurst Forest on the Isle of Wight. Dog walkers had reported seeing the substance in the Marks Corner end of the forest. In 2023 a dog was left in a critical condition after eating food that had been laced with poison in a Wrexham park. Police launched an investigation after the poisoned food was left in undergrowth close to a badger sett. Last week a dog had to be rescued from Ben Nevis after eating cannabis that had been discarded on the mountain trail. Black Labrador Tokyo collapsed half way up the track, losing use of her legs and drifting in and out of consciousness. Owner Christina Bluhme called for help and mountain rescue stretchered Tokyo back down the peak to a local vets for treatment. Thankfully she made a full recovery. The three pooches belonging to Tony Adele have also pulled through and are back to their boisterous selves, thanks to the quick care they got at their vets. Tony said: “The vets were absolutely fantastic. As soon as we got there they could see how sick the dogs were and rushed us straight through. I don’t think they would have survived without such immediate treatment. We can’t thank them enough.” Lancashire Police confirmed they are investigating the poisoning of Jaffa, Bo and Bear, and the RSPCA described the incident as “shocking”. A spokesperson said: “We’re so glad to hear all three dogs survived this shocking incident. It’s deeply distressing to think that anyone would intentionally harm an animal in this cruel way, and we can only imagine the worry and upset this has caused their owners who rely on their dogs on a daily basis. “We would urge anyone with first-hand knowledge about this incident to contact the police.” Lancashire Police has asked anyone with information that may help their enquiries to call 101 and quote log 751 of 13 July.