The owners of a prize-winning dog, who they claim was poisoned at the world famous Crufts show, say he was the victim of a random attack.
Above: Thendara Satisfaction – Jagger training / alekslauwers – youtube
Dee Milligan-Bott said she was certain that the Irish setter, which died at the weekend after returning to Belgium, was poisoned. But the distraught breeder said: “I don’t believe in my heart of hearts that this was another competitor or anyone involved in the dog world.
“I can only imagine that it was a random act that somebody premeditated and wanted to cause total distress at the best dog show in the world.”
Three-year-old Irish setter Thendara Satisfaction, known as Jagger, collapsed and died after returning to Belgium from the show at Birmingham’s NEC. Jagger, who came second in his class at the show on Thursday, is co-owned by Belgian Aleksandra Lauwers and Mrs Milligan-Bott, from Leicester.
To person who has done it, hope you can sleep well knowing you have killed our love, family member and best friend to our son. Aleksandra Lauwers
The animal’s owners have said that beef laced with unknown poisons was found during a post-mortem examination, and West Midlands police are liaising with Crufts officials and the NEC to secure potential evidence.
Writing on her Facebook page, the veteran dog-breeder added: “We can’t and we won’t think that this was the act of another exhibitor. If we thought that, we couldn’t go on, and the last 30 years would be a complete waste. So I ask all of you to unite in finding the perpetrator who did this.”
It has been claimed that the dog must have been given the meat “while on his bench at Crufts”.
A devastated Mrs Lauwers wrote on her Facebook page: “To person who has done it, hope you can sleep well knowing you have killed our love, family member and best friend to our son.”
A spokeswoman for the Kennel Club, which runs Crufts, said they were awaiting a toxicology report from Belgian police to shed some light on Jagger’s death.
Secretary Caroline Kisko said: “The Kennel Club is deeply shocked and saddened to hear that Jagger the Irish setter died some 26 hours after leaving Crufts. We have spoken to his owners and our heartfelt sympathies go out to them. We understand that the toxicology report is due next week and until that time we cannot know the cause of this tragic incident.”