Wairarapa dog owner warns of deadly river danger

Tuesday, 4 February 2020

Angus the rottweiler died after eating toxic algae from Masterton's Waipoua River

A Wairarapa dog owner is heartbroken by the death of her beloved pet after he ate toxic algae on the edge of a Masterton River.

Annette Archibald said she wanted to share her story to warn others of the dangers these cyanobacteria blooms pose.

The Waipoua River that runs through Masterton is rife with toxic algae. (Pictured near the confluence with the Ruamahanga River.)

The poisoning happened whilst she was walking her two dogs, including her rottweiler-cross Angus, at the Waipoua River to cool down in the recent hot weather.

Archibald said the loss of her two-year-old pet has been devastating and she blames herself not being more aware of possible toxic algae dangers.

Greater Wellington Regional Council Senior Environmental Scientist Dr Mark Heath shows what toxic algae (cyanobacteria) looks like.

Toxic algae mats have a musty smell that attracts dogs.

* Dog owners told to stay away from Wairarapa river covered in toxic algae

* Swimmers warned to take care after toxic algae found in Wellington region's rivers

Though signs warn people, large stretches of the river are accessible and signage is not possible at every point.

* Toxic algae: more deadly than cobra venom and delicious to your dog

* No Christmas cheer for Hutt River users**

'My dogs are everything to me. I'm single with no children and things revolve around those dogs.'

Archibald lamented there wasn't more visible signage to warn dog owners.

There was a small sign beneath the bridge west of where she walked the dogs but nothing at the main access points to the river from the dog exercise area.

She remembered hearing about warnings in December but by January she had forgotten and assumed the dogs would be alright.

Toxic algae blooms were widespread in rivers throughout the Wellington region and the musty odour of algal mats were proving fatally attractive to canines.

The two reported dog deaths were both tied to visits to the Waipoua River. Archibald's case was on Thursday January 23 and the other was last Wednesday.

Greater Wellington Regional Council senior environmental scientist Dr Mark Heath said dogs seemed to be attracted to toxic algae mats.

'Dogs seem to be attracted to the musty, earthy odour and they'll actually ingest that toxic algae directly.'

Heath said the breadth of algal bloom coverage this summer was the most extensive he had seen in recent years.

Last week the regional council issued warnings covering a range of areas including rivers and streams from Ōtaki, Waikanae, Hutt Valley and most of Wairarapa.

'I have never seen it so widespread with all rivers being impacted at once.'

The Waipoua was the only river with 'do not swim' warnings.

Most rivers throughout the region remained swimmable as long as people took care not to ingest the algae.

Senior veterinarian at South Wairarapa Veterinary Services Tony Noyes said their staff dealt directly with the animals affected.

Noyes has had experience with cyanobacteria poisoning cases over in the Hutt and he was '100 per cent' certain that the symptoms and the circumstances around the dog deaths in Masterton fit this description.

He said if people wanted to take dogs to the river they would need to go right up into the hills where there was no toxic algae.