Dead Crufts dog poisoned in Belgium, organisers say

According to a toxicology report, Jagger was fed a “fast-acting poison” shortly after its return to Belgium. It had previously been suggested that the dog might have been poisoned at the Birmingham show.

The Kennel Club said a post-mortem examination had found two fast-acting poisons in meat eaten by Jagger, but he showed no signs of illness until he was back in Belgium.

The three-year-old dog, whose pedigree name is Thendara Satisfaction, died on 7 March after he had been returned to Belgium.

Deepest sympathies

The Kennel Club’s Caroline Kisko said: “The Kennel Club’s deepest sympathies go to Jagger’s owners, who have received confirmation that Jagger tragically died from the ingestion of poisoned material, and we ask that their privacy is respected as they grieve for their beloved pet.

“There has been a lot of concern about whether the poisoning happened at Crufts and we are now able to reassure all dog-lovers who came to Crufts that this could not have been possible and it is highly likely that the poisons, thought to be on a piece of beef, were eaten in Belgium, shortly before Jagger’s death.

“We have had confirmation, including from independent toxicologists, that the poisons identified in the toxicology report – carbofuran and aldicarb – are fast-acting. Severe clinical symptoms would usually occur within half an hour to three hours.

Banned poisons

“Considering we are told that Jagger showed the first clinical signs usually associated with these two poisons shortly before his death in Belgium, late on Friday 6 March night, leading to the immediate call for veterinary attention, we must conclude that it is inconceivable that he could have been poisoned at Crufts on Thursday 5 March, some 28 to 36 hours earlier.

“Furthermore, the poison is thought to have been given on a piece of beef that was still largely undigested when the autopsy was performed on Saturday March 7 morning, and food is usually absorbed in dogs within six hours.”

The two poisons are banned in the EU. At the time of Jagger’s death, Jeremy and Dee Milligan-Bot (above), the dog’s co-owners said they thought their dog had not been specifically targeted, but may have been poisoned by someone with a grudge against Crufts or dogs in general.