The area where the competition was supposed to take place was prohibited from access by a municipal decree of the town of Vauvert. TRAVELARIUM / stock.adobe.com
A slug product concealed in meatballs is believed to be the cause of the deaths of three dogs. A fourth is in serious condition. An investigation has been opened by the Nîmes prosecutor’s office.
A festive day that turns to tragedy. Three dogs died after being poisoned this Sunday, March 12, during the final of the French canicross championship (running in the company of a dog) which was held in Vauvert in the Gard. A fourth is in serious condition.
«It’s a strong emotion, a mixture of sadness and anger“, declared the Federation of Canine Sports and Leisure (FSLC) in a post Facebook after the tragedy that unfolded around 7:30 a.m. shortly before the start of the race. These poisonings would be linked to “a slug product contained in meatballs scattered along the sports course», Reports France 3 Occitania.
“Abject criminal act”
The three dogs would have died fifteen minutes after ingesting one of these pellets, despite the intervention of a veterinarian on site. The fourth animal is still between life and death, “by only sniffing other dogs’ vomit“, specifies Yvon Lasbleiz, the president of the FSLC to the local media.
For the Federation, the criminal character is beyond doubt: “We have a thought for the dogs who left us following an abject criminal act“, she wrote. “I don’t know if this person realizes his act. When you see what it did to the dogs, imagine if a child had come near those dumplings“, he protested to France 3.
Read alsoHunting with hounds: how dogs must thwart the tricks of their prey
Investigation opened by the Nîmes prosecutor’s office
«The most beautiful dog’s party is ruined….“, lamented the FSLC. The event, which was originally supposed to take place in a festive atmosphere, finally had to be canceled, said the town hall of Vauvert on Facebook. The latter added in her post that the contest area is prohibited from access by a “municipal decree during the investigation».
Gendarmes from the Vauvert brigade (Gard) and members of the scientific police made the trip. Several dumplings were picked up, “without the exact number being known“, informs France 3. Several people have been interviewed and the corpses of the four-legged animals will be autopsied in Lyon.
The FSLC, the local association Canicross30 and the town hall of Vauvert filed a complaint. The Nîmes public prosecutor’s office was seized of the case.
Read also4 tips to keep your dog healthy
TO HAVE ALSO – Discover the 5 favorite dogs of the French in 2022
