ABERGAVENNY dog walkers have been warned to be vigilant after dog treats laced with fish hooks were spotted in Castle Meadows.

Monmouthshire County Council issued a warning yesterday that they had received numerous reports of dog treats containing fish hooks on the Mill Street footpath leading to the River Usk and also scattered in Castle Meadows itself.

When a dog swallows a fish hook it can become embedded in its oesophagus, stomach, or intestines and cause a perforation.

It is classed as a medical emergency and the animal should be taken to the vet immediately.

Dog lovers on the social media site the Abergavenny Voice were outraged that anyone would seek to harm an animal in such a way and branded the act as “pure evil!”

One commentator asked, “What on earth are individuals thinking of? What possible reason would anyone have to hurt animals? It is indeed a sad, sad world we’re living in.”

Another added, “This is horrific! I moved from Cardiff about seven years ago and there was a spate of this sort of thing happening in some of the parks there, meat laced with poison, sharp objects placed and embedded into footpaths where dogs would run, etc. Apparently, it was a group of dog-hating people who wanted to discourage people from taking their dogs to the park.

“This is possibly the motive of person or people responsible for this on the meadows. I’ll certainly think twice before taking my dog there for a while.”

This is not the first time dogs have been targeted by laced treats in Abergavenny.

In 2013 dog walkers were urged to be on their guard when dozens of cooked cocktail sausages spiked with nails were found in Llwynu Lane.

A local vet explained at the time, “I was shocked and appalled at what I was shown. We could have easily seen a spate of dogs facing a slow death.”

In March of this year, a Jack Russell needed emergency treatment after swallowing two fish hooks hidden in a treat in Castle Meadows.

The dog’s owner who was from Blaenavon and asked to remain anonymous, told Wales Online, “My dog ran back to me with excitement because she found a treat. It was a lot bigger than any treats she normally has, so it took me a few seconds to work out what it was.

“As I got her to drop it, the rest broke and she swallowed nearly half of it. That’s when I found a hook concealed in the other half.”

The incident occurred in a spot in the Meadows far from the river where the cattle often graze.

Abergavenny’s Abbey Vets operated on the dog and successfully removed two hooks lodged in her stomach.

Nearly three months later more treats embedded with more fish hooks have been found in the same spot.

The police have been made aware of the situation.