Lulu was found dead in her swimming hole. Poisoned animals head straight for water.
Lulu died this week. Our family received toxicology reports, confirming her death is 1080 poisoning from the recent Hunua Ranges aerial poison drop. There is no antidote, and it is an inhumane poison. Lulu would have suffered terribly.
New Zealand taxpayer dollars fund these operations.
Lulu died on her own property, which backs on to the Hunua Ranges. Her property is a supposed safe area, outside the drop zone and buffer zone.
We lost our family member, Wednesday morning (23rd September) from 1080 poisoning. We now have the toxicology report but we already knew as her symptoms were exactly that of 1080 poisoning. Poor darling had a heinous, cruel, painful demise. She died on our property. We had taken all of the necessary precautions. I received an email from council last week saying that it was safe. Lulu’s death happened post that letter…..safe?
It is with great sadness that I write this. I am writing in the hope that it will NEVER happen to anyone else.
My family will never be the same again, all because of a senseless, unnecessary murder. I know who killed Lulu, this is part of the problem, and this is part of my heavy heart.
The Department of Conservation murdered Lulu. The Managing Director of Pest Research and the government and all of the supporters of 1080, killed Lulu, will your beloved pet or stock be next? Will your child be next? Not only are we all at risk so is the destruction of our eco system by this indiscriminate man made killer; 1080!
This is my story …
I had a visit from DOC in July, a lovely young man who offered me a muzzle (actually for my dog), he asked if I was “for 1080” and I answered categorically NO! So do not drop around my property, please.
He assured me that I was not in the drop zone? He offered me some traps as we have 5 acres of native bush; I said ‘Yes please’. They never arrived. I have my own and set my own but you can always do with a spare.
I was never warned about floating dead carcasses, I was not told of the hideous, painful way a pet dies as the result if a pet, animal or bird ingests a 1080 pellet. Silly me just thought DOC had it all under control. Where is my ratepayer’s money going to please? I was notified when the drop started. From that night I watched Lulu like a hawk (we had four hawks flying above our property, I have not seen them for a week. I wait in hope).
Every night she was brought in and snuggled beside my bed, she would start beside the fire and then end up next to my bed, my shadow of light. Every morning she would be let out for the toilet along with our little Jack Russell puppy, Poppy. Lulu and Poppy would hang out on the deck and the lawn in front of the house, Poppy tormenting Lulu and Lulu looking at me with pleading eyes once the puppy became a bit much for her…
“Why me Mum? I could put this little puppy’s head in my mouth with one bite but this puppy thinks it is bigger than me….sigh….I will just go along with it”, but once Lulu recognized the love I had in my voice for both dogs Poppy was fine; Lulu, was a good, stable, quiet dog .Lulu taught Poppy well to guard the gate!
THAT NIGHT!………
I had brought Lulu in about 8.30pm and up until then our friend had been playing with Lulu and Poppy outside, fetch and all of those lovely fun games that dogs and humans enjoy.
2:30am on Wednesday 23rd September, 2015 I was awoken to Lulu barking, it was a ferocious barking that had me jump out of bed in full alarm mode, I thought there was an intruder in our house. I grabbed a heavy implement ready to knock anyone in the head if they were intent on harming, I checked on my children who at this time were awoken by Lulu’s barking. I was not clear as to what was happening at this stage so gathered my three young children together we all witnessed; Lulu barking like an animal possessed, she was running around the house banging in to things, shaking and frothing,
I knew that something was not right. Our friend, who is staying, woke to the noise and came up to the house, by this stage I had managed to sit Lulu next to me and pat her head and calm her down, for about a minute, I spoke in a calm, loving voice and said “It is ok Lulu, it is ok, we are here”, Lulu looked intently in to my eyes I saw nothing but fear, our friend tied her up as we had googled her symptoms I rung an oncall vet, we were going to try and induce vomiting. Lulu was rabid at this stage and broke from her chain, she ran off into the darkness and we heard a splash……then nothing.
Lulu had died in her favourite swimming hole, the swimming hole that for the past three summers we had enjoyed with friends and family and Lulu. Labs love water. The next morning after I had dropped our children off to school my friend and I walked down to our watering hole and there she was, head out and floating up against the river bank dead. I cried uncontrollably.
Things have not been the same since.
My children have had nightmares and not a moment goes by where I don’t give Lulu a thought. She was part of us, she was a family member. We wrapped her body up in my favourite orange, woollen blanket that my mother-in-law had given us, put her in the back of the car and took her for a trip in to Gribbles a veterinary autopsy place, after phoning the vet for a referral.
I might add they were extremely helpful, kind and compassionate. We asked for a full autopsy; this became available, Wednesday the 30th of September but I had conversations with the appropriate people who had confirmed, green matter in Lulu’s stomach along with fur and bone and intestines of another animal. They ruled out any other cause of death.
Penelope Young is a part time nurse, has worked at Mount Isa hospital and the Department of Critical Care Medicine at Auckland City Hospital and owns and operates Kiwi business Moumoukai Hemp producing industrial hemp products.
Download autopsy report …
TUESDAY, October 13 …
• stuff.co.nz: Infant milk formula 1080 scare: Man in court Charge sheets alleged the blackmail was carried out for financial gain to the man. The accused has been involved with a range of companies, including one that involves pest control. He also apparently developed an alternative poison to control possum populations.
