Delta police have finally confirmed that a Ladner dog that became sick and died in May from what was then an unknown substance was, in fact, poisoned.
Kleo, a three-year-old Bernese mountain dog, began vomiting one afternoon and became progressively more ill. A vet noted Kleo displayed symptoms consistent with anti-freeze poisoning. On the next day, the owner made the difficult decision to euthanize the dog.
The Delta Police Department arranged to have toxicology results done on the Kleo’s blood work. This involved reaching out to a toxicologist in Washington state that specializes in animal toxicology.
“The results showed that ethylene glycol, the toxic ingredient in anti-freeze, was most likely what made the dog sick. It seems a relatively large amount of it was ingested,” said DPD public affairs coordinator Cris Leykauf. “There is no evidence to suggest that the dog was intentionally poisoned.”
Leykauf said police urge pet owners to be vigilant of items and plants in their yards that may be harmful or toxic to pets. There are plants that contain ethyl glycol to sustain them through the cold winter.
Kleo’s owner June Mark first let the community know what happened to her beloved pet on the Ladner’s Landing Facebook Group. Her post sparked considerable outrage and other reports of pets ingesting foreign substances and getting sick.
Mark recently posted again letting the community know of the police investigation, which has now concluded.
“She had an ethylene glycol level of 5.9 mmol after 48 hours of the event. The lab estimated that she ingested 1.5 cups of antifreeze to get levels like that,” she wrote. “I miss her every day, but at least now I know for sure why she died and that it was nothing that I had done or not done. It was just some sick SOB that took it out on my baby. RIP Baby Girl.”
