A dog who died after taking part in Crufts had been poisoned after returning to Belgium, a toxicology report has shown.
Jagger the Irish setter, collapsed at his home on Friday 6 March, less than 48 hours after leaving Crufts.
The dog’s death was thought to have been caused by poisoned meat cubes, and it was initially believed that the poison could have been administered while the dog was left alone on the bench at Crufts while their other dogs were being judged. But according to a toxicology report, three-year-old Jagger was fed a “fast-acting poison” in Belgium, not while at the dog show.
The Kennel Club’s secretary, Caroline Kisko, said it was “inconceivable” that the dog could have been poisoned while at the dog show in Birmingham: “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.
“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 the night of Friday 6 March, 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 the morning of Saturday 7 March, and food is usually absorbed in dogs within six hours.
“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.”
News of the poisoning – among the most shocking incidents in Crufts’ 123-year history – had led to reports that as many as six other dogs had also fallen ill after taking part in the British dog show. However, such news was rejected by the event organisers as “rumour and speculation”.
Jagger’s owners, Aleksandra Lauwers, Dee Milligan-Bott and Jeremy Bott had already attempted to quash suggestions that the poisoning was carried out by a rival competitor. They said the death appeared to be “a random act” rather than a fellow competitor targeting them.
Bott said: “I certainly don’t want our dog shows – the places we work so hard to get to – to become a ground of finger-pointing and suspicion.”