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 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 previously been aware the flowers could be fatal 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.

"The vet asked where we'd been. We said the tulip festival and she told us tulips were highly toxic to dogs.

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

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

However, when ingested by dogs, the flowers can cause issues such as an upset stomach or more severe effects such as breathing difficulties and seizures as they irritate dogs' mouths, stomachs and skin.

This can occur through not only through dogs eating tulip bulbs or the flower itself, but also by licking contaminated soil.

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."

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