I wanted to write my opinion column over a story I read not too long over dogs dying from swimming in toxic algae that was in pond water in North Carolina. The woman had three dogs that died after they went swimming in the pond. They started seizing and their health declined rapidly.
This story really grabbed my attention because I first saw a post about it on Facebook where a woman and her boyfriend took their dog swimming in a pond, and she was telling how her dog was so excited to go swimming. Once the dog got out of the pond, the woman said she started having seizures and throwing up. They took their dog to the vet right after, and the veterinarian told them the dog was already brain dead by the time they got there.
This touched my heart because I have a Chihuahua name LA, and I could not imagine having to go through something like that with him. The woman’s long post went viral of course, and it grabbed a lot of attention from news sites.
The blue algae that was in the water CNN said was common during the hot months because the bacteria can live in the warm freshwater. Algae are sometimes mixed in with the water and some of the plants that are in the water contaminating it. Once the dogs jumped in to go swimming, they ingested it and the bacteria was killing them quickly. CNN also reported that poisoning would only take about 15 minutes to kill dogs.
One thing that stands out for me is the woman who posted on Facebook said that she and her boyfriend went swimming along with their dog. What I’m not understanding is how did the dog get sick and not them? I’m guessing that maybe the bacteria were too much for the dog and not the people.
The blue algae that was in the water CNN said was common during the hot months because the bacteria can live in the warm freshwater. Algae are sometimes mixed in with the water and some of the plants that are in the water contaminating it. Once the dogs jumped in to go swimming, they ingested it and the bacteria was killing them quickly. CNN also reported that poisoning would only take about 15 minutes to kill dogs.
One thing that stands out for me is the woman who posted on Facebook said that she and her boyfriend went swimming along with their dog. What I’m not understanding is how did the dog get sick and not them? I’m guessing that maybe the bacteria were too much for the dog and not the people.
Something else that crossed my mind was I wonder how long the pond water was contaminated for. I also wonder how many dogs or other animals were poisoned by the pond water. It was reported that the water gets tested regularly, but I’m not sure I believe that.
Also, if someone did know the pond water was contaminated, why did they not post any kind of warning? I saw what the water looks like, and it looked displeasing. The water was cloudy, and it looked like it smelled bad.
My opinion about this story is honestly I would not take my dog swimming in water that I could not see my feet in. I know it was a hot day and there is nothing better than going swimming in cool water, but the thing is with water like that, a person doesn’t know anything about it or what is in it. Reading about this story, and then hearing about flesh-eating bacteria in Destin, Florida makes me want to just stick to bathwater.
I feel sad for the pet owners that lost their sweet fur babies to something like this. Having to see their animals suffering the way that they were and feel so helpless is a horrible feeling. In the meantime, I do hope that there is an advisory about the water so that other people can be aware of it, and not go through the same thing.
Also, if someone did know the pond water was contaminated, why did they not post any kind of warning? I saw what the water looks like, and it looked displeasing. The water was cloudy, and it looked like it smelled bad.
My opinion about this story is honestly I would not take my dog swimming in water that I could not see my feet in. I know it was a hot day and there is nothing better than going swimming in cool water, but the thing is with water like that, a person doesn’t know anything about it or what is in it. Reading about this story, and then hearing about flesh-eating bacteria in Destin, Florida makes me want to just stick to bathwater.
I feel sad for the pet owners that lost their sweet fur babies to something like this. Having to see their animals suffering the way that they were and feel so helpless is a horrible feeling. In the meantime, I do hope that there is an advisory about the water so that other people can be aware of it, and not go through the same thing.
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