Owner left heartbroken as service dog dies after ‘ingesting weedkiller’ on walk in Dundee

A Dundee woman is mourning the loss of her “lifeline” service dog, who died after reportedly ingesting toxic weedkiller in Dundee.

Leah Van Win believes her Staffordshire bull terrier was exposed to glyphosate at City Quay on Friday, October 16.

The herbicide, which is commonly used to control weeds, can cause dogs to become unwell if they ingest it before it fully dries.

Leah, 22, first noticed something was wrong when Blubelle suffered diarrhoea the following day, but put it down to her “eating something she shouldn’t have”.

A few hours later, Blubelle – who assisted Leah in living with a chronic illness and autism – appeared disorientated and bumped into a glass table.

Her condition took a turn for the worst when she later suffered a seizure.

Leah told STV News: “She threw herself on to her back convulsing, shaking and throwing up.

“It was just horrible to see her like that.”

Blubelle was taken to an out-of-hours pet clinic in Dundee, where she was given medication to relax her muscles.

Leah and her mum, Karen Lowe, kept an eye on Blubelle at home in the days following, but were concerned that she was not eating or drinking.

They used a syringe to feed her water to keep her hydrated.

Blubelle was later taken in by Wallace Vets in Broughty Ferry, where it was established that her liver enzyme levels were “dangerously high”.

She was eventually put to sleep on Thursday evening after her condition worsened.

Leah added: “We made the decision for her own wellbeing. We didn’t want her suffering unnecessarily.

“It was awful, but we gave her lots of cuddles and we told her we would get justice for her.

“We were giving her all the love we possibly could and we held her when she passed away.”

An online fundraiser set up to help cover Blubelle’s vet bills has raised more than £1,100.

Described as a “lifeline” by Leah, Blubelle was trained to pick up on her owner’s stress levels and help in calming her down.

She also assisted Karen, who suffers from physical disabilities.

Leah said: “I’ve been around dogs my whole life. To be without Blubelle is heartbreaking.

“Change is really difficult for an autistic person.

“I’ve not had time to process it. If I process a change, it’s easier for me to understand and go through with.

“The fact that this has been within a few days has been really, really hard.

“Blubelle was our rock.”

Concerns were previously raised with Dundee City Council over use of the toxic weedkiller in August 2019.

Leah and Karen now hope to seek assurances from the local authority that animal-friendly alternatives will be considered in future.

They also wish for a safety protocol to be introduced for areas in which glyphosate products have been sprayed, including use of signage to alert dog walkers.

A Dundee City Council spokesperson said: “We are looking into issues that have been raised by the family.

“Council officers have been speaking to them about the situation.”