Investigation after dogs feared poisoned on beach

Two-year-old cocker spaniel Ruby suffered serious seizures and vomiting after consuming something on Hove beach on Friday

A council has launched an investigation after a number of dogs became seriously ill following a walk on a Sussex beach.

At least three dogs were treated for symptoms including seizures, vomiting and diarrhoea, believed to be caused by something they ate on the beach in Hove, East Sussex.

One owner said they believed their pet was going to die due to the severity of the symptoms.

Brighton and Hove City Council (BHCC) said no evidence of pollution had been found.

The incidents took place on the beach near Brunswick Square.

Local residents raised concerns on social media and it was initially thought that palm oil, petrol or diesel could have washed up on the beach.

Jack Duffy's two-year-old cocker spaniel, Ruby, was among the animals affected by the unknown substance after a walk on Friday morning.

"We'd got home from our morning walk and I was in a meeting with colleagues when I noticed Ruby start to jerk," said Mr Duffy.

He called the emergency vet who told Mr Duffy to bring Ruby in.

"I couldn't get a taxi so I picked her up and sprinted to the vets which is about 10 minutes away," he said.

"Then in my arms she got really bad and I just started yelling. She made a noise almost like a scream.

"A man in a van nearby stopped to help me and I just thought she was going to die," he continued.

The dogs fell ill after consuming an unknown substance on the beach near to The Meeting Point café on Hove seafront

Ruby was treated by MediVet Brighton, which said it had also treated two other dogs with similar symptoms.

In a statement, BHCC said: "On Saturday we were made aware of reports about dogs falling ill after being on Brighton beach in the general area of the Meeting Place café.

“Our seafront team investigated the area and surrounding beaches and found no evidence of any forms of pollution."

No evidence of palm oil, petrol or diesel was found, the council said.

BHCC said beach inspections would continue and advised dog owners to keep their dogs on leads to ensure they were not eating anything that could be a risk to them.

Ruby has since made a full recovery.