RUMOURS OF deadly poison and sausages with needles inside them supposedly left on Hackney Downs to kill dogs have been frightening pet owners since the summer.
The claims gained credibility when a bull terrier died in pain and terror over several days from what its owner said was rat poison in meat it found at the railway end of the downs. The gentle creature was little more than 18 months old.
The rumours reached such a pitch that Hackney park keepers called a public meeting in the building at the centre of the downs. Dog-lovers, however, failed to turn up.
The advice, anyway, seemed unlikely to quell fears. The keepers said there had been concern about dogs’ becoming ill while being exercised on the downs. Posing the leading question, “What to do if you suspect your dog has been poisoned,” they said:
“Remove your pet from the area;
“check to make sure your pet is safe, breathing and acting normally;
“do not give any home antidotes;
“do not induce vomiting;
“collect a sample of the material, along with the packaging or container, and save it;
“contact your vet or emergency veterinary clinic immediately.”
Nevertheless, the council promises that “officers” (they mean park-keepers) will be “patrolling Hackney Downs”.
Some good news: in the wake of the closure of the Russet, a new café-store, Autumn Yard, opens at 17 Amhurst Terrace E8 2BT on Tuesday 22 November 2016.
Where better to compare notes?
David Altheer 181116
* Backstory: Hackney Downs loses the Russet; Russell Brand steals Downs limelight
* Emboldened underscored words in most cases indicate a hyperlink, a reader service rare among websites. If a link does not work, it is probably because the site to which the URL refers has not been maintained.