A MAN from Middlewich has issued a warning to dog-owners in the town after his beloved pet Rottweiler suddenly fell ill and died.


Robert Slade, 62, who lives on New King Street, has been left distraught at his dog Ty’s death and says he fears he may have been poisoned.


Robert claims there is a history of dogs being poisoned in the area and feared the worst when he saw his dog eating something suspect when he took Ty out near his home.


Robert said: “If someone has poisoned my dog then they have ruined my life and people need to know that this is happening.


“You can never be certain but when so many dogs are dying around the area and the way he died, you think it must be.”


“I took him out and I saw him eating something and shouted him back straight away, but it was too late.


“There has been a lot of dogs dying in the area and my neighbour told me that people have been leaving out chicken soaked in anti-freeze.


“I don’t know why they would do that and although they may have poisoned my dog, they could have killed me too because I couldn’t eat for four days I was that devastated.”


After word spread among residents of Robert’s grief, dog-owners took to Facebook to warn each other.


Michael Brockbank, posted on facebook: “My dog died two years ago from being poisoned same area.”


While Lisa Siddons posted: “I live up in Warmingham Lane and that happened to my cat two years ago, people put out cat food/ dog food with either rat poison or antifreeze in it to attract rats but they do not think about other animals that are about at night.”