Yellowknifer sounds alarm after dog ingests poisonous substance
'Her pupils were super-dilated; she was twitchy, she was agitated,' says owner
A Yellowknife dog owner is raising the alarm after one of her dogs apparently ingested a poisonous substance in the wooded area near 57 Street and Tommy Forrest ball park.
Kirsten Murphy was out snowshoeing with Bindy, her eight-year-old border collie cross, in the area on Wednesday. Bindy, who was off-leash, wandered out of Murphy's sight, disappearing for two hours.
"She came back twitching," said Murphy, who has worked as a casual employee at CBC North. "I have no idea what she got into, but my uneducated opinion was that she was higher than a kite.
"Her pupils were super-dilated. She was twitchy; she was agitated. She was just super-spooked out."
Murphy immediately called her veterinarian, who was initially skeptical about bringing the dog in. However, Murphy said that "when I told him where I lived, he said: 'bring her in.'"
The area where Murphy was walking with Bindy is near Forrest Park, where Yellowknife resident Janet Pacey's dog, Roo, apparently ingested a poisonous substance last summer. Roo ultimately died following the incident.
Bindy was quickly treated and has since recovered, but Murphy is still warning Yellowknife dog owners to be vigilant.
"I take full responsibility," she said. "I had my dog off-leash, so ultimately I'm the one who's responsible. I'm very thankful that it turned out the way it did.
"But people should just be aware that if they're walking their dog off leash, that this can happen."