Gold Coast, Queensland: Woman devastated after sudden death of her beloved dog at local park

A dog owner has been left distraught after the sudden death of her beloved puppy Maverick during a routine walk at their local park. 

Sheree Hastie had been walking the two-year-old pooch at Oxenford Lake on Queensland’s Gold Coast on Friday when he started behaving strangely. 

As his concerned owner quickly loaded him into her car, Maverick started to vomit and became ‘wobbly’ and weak at the knees. 

Ms Hastie desperately tried to get her dog treatment for the mystery illness but frustratingly, no clinics were open at the time. 

She said Maverick was ‘gone’ by the time she pulled into her driveway, just 20 minutes after they had left the popular walking spot. 

‘I’m just trying to get my head around how or why it happened,’ she told 7News. 

Ms Hastie desperately tried to take Maverick (pictured) to the vet to receive treatment for the mystery illness but frustratingly, no clinics were open

Ms Hastie smelt something ‘fishy’ in the dog’s vomit and spotted some ‘little chunky bones’ which made her think Maverick had ingested something poisonous. 

‘(It was) something very toxic in order for him to pass so quickly,’ she said. 

However, new information since the puppy’s sudden death has lead her to believe that Maverick wasn’t deliberately ‘baited’.

Instances of dog baiting in parks across Australia have become common-place in the last few years, with Sydney dog owners put on high alert just last month.

The bait, usually rat poison, is wrapped in food to appeal to dogs and to hide the smell and taste of the poison. 

Dogs can suffer lethargy, breathing difficulty, tremors or convulsions or excessive panting or drooling if they are baited. 

Without an anecdote, dogs can die within 1-2 hours of being poisoned.  

Ms Hastie said her other dogs, Frankie and Ellie, weren’t being their usual playful selves after the loss of their brother Maverick. 

Ms Hastie has heard of other dogs becoming ill after visiting Oxenford Lake (pictured) with a second dog exhibiting the same symptoms as Maverick during a walk on Sunday

She has heard of other dogs becoming ill after visiting Oxenford Lake, with a second dog exhibiting the same symptoms as her dog during a walk on Sunday. 

Unlike Maverick, the other dog survived. 

The Gold Coast Council said there is already a sign warning dog owners to keep their animals on a leash at the lake, with others soon to be erected in the area. 

Ms Hastie has warned other dog lovers to always keen an eye on their beloved animals after the devastating loss of Maverick. 

‘I don’t want anybody else to go through what we’ve been through this week,’ the distraught owner said.