Owner's warning after dog's tulip festival death

The owner of a dog which died after visiting a tulip festival has made a plea for better awareness of the potential dangers posed to canines by the flower.

Jemma Ladwitch said Bobby, her three-year-old springer spaniel, died three hours after visiting Farmer Copley's Tulip Festival in Pontefract on 17 April, and she had not been aware the flowers could be poisonous to dogs when ingested.

Ladwitch said she wanted to warn people of the dangers: "I don't want any dog owners to take that risk again."

Robert Copley, Farmer Copleys director, said there was "clear guidance" on the firm's website about keeping dogs on leads, and additional signage about the dangers of tulips had since been installed.

"As dog owners ourselves, we understand the loss of a pet", Copley said.

Farmer Copleys staff had since been "in dialogue" with Ladwitch, and "our thoughts are very much with her at this difficult time", he added.

Ladwitch, a business development manager from Ackworth, said Bobby was a "healthy and happy" dog before visiting the tulip event.

However, an hour after having left the farm, she noticed the dog's breathing had become erratic and he had begun to drool.

She explained that by the time she arrived at the vets, Bobby had become blind and had started to suffer seizures.

"He just lay there, drooling. He was lifeless," Ladwitch said.

"He had no illnesses, no health issues. He was just gone within three hours," she added.

The dog owner said her vet had asked where Bobby had been and explained that tulip bulbs could be toxic to dogs.

Tulip fields have recently soared in popularity in the UK, with a number of attractions opening across the country.

However, when the plants and bulbs are eaten by dogs, they can cause issues such as vomiting or diarrhoea.

The Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) said it had handled about 1,600 cases of tulip ingestion, in which two-thirds of animals developed "no signs" of illness. They said that any poisoning was by the animal eating the plant or bulb, rather than simply walking through a tulip field or licking soil.

A spokesperson for the business, which is a animal toxicology specialist, said: "The severity of the gastrointestinal signs directly relates to the amount ingested.

"Respiratory issues and seizures are not a feature of tulip toxicity in pets.

"The compounds are present throughout the plant and are more concentrated in the bulbs, but the only fatality reported to us was due to gut obstruction due to eating the bulbs rather than the effects from the toxic compounds themselves."

Ladwitch said that while many such attractions were dog-friendly, she was concerned not everyone knew how harmful the flowers could be to canines.

"I want to save lives in Bobby's memory," she said.

The organisers of the four-week event in Pontefract said they were deeply saddened to hear of Bobby's death.

Copley said: "We take the safety and wellbeing of all visitors, including dogs, extremely seriously.

"Prior to this incident, we had clear guidance in place advising that dogs must be kept on leads at all times, which was communicated on our website and reinforced on arrival by our team."

Copley said that following Bobby's death, the firm had taken "immediate steps to further strengthen our communication to give our visitors the knowledge to make an informed decision on bringing their pets".

"This now includes additional signage on site and further information on our website regarding tulips and their potential harm if ingested," he added.

Ashleigh Brown, an animal welfare expert from the RSPCA, said: "We're so sorry to hear about this terribly sad incident. Unfortunately, some flowers such as lilies, daffodils, tulips, peonies and hyacinths can be toxic to cats and dogs.

"However, even non-toxic plants may cause some stomach upset if ingested, so it's important that pet owners are aware of the potential dangers.

"If you suspect your pet has ingested dangerous flowers or plants, please seek veterinary advice immediately."

Correction 20 May: A previous version of this article stated that tulips could be fatal to dogs when ingested. We have updated this to say that they could be harmful to dogs when eaten. Additionally we have added in information from The Veterinary Poisons Information Service (VPIS) about these dangers including vomiting and diarrhoea which stems from eating the bulbs rather than walking through tulips or licking bulbs. We have also removed a quote from a vet about the toxicity of tulips.

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