A DOG owner has urged fellow pet owners to be cautious in a local park after her dog died from suspected heroin poisoning after a family day out in Wilton Park, Batley, West Yorkshire.

Lisa Wright's vet told her that Hamish the West Highland Terrier's death probably resulted from him swallowing heroin or ecstasy.

A shocked Mrs Wright, of Reform Street, Gomersal, said Hamish could only have picked up the drugs at the park last Sunday, when she and children Matthew and Amy were walking him with their other dog, Skip, and her brother's dog.

Mrs Wright and children spent one-and-a-half hours walking through the park, with four-year-old Hamish off his lead in the large wooded section.

The family arrived home at 3.30pm. Mrs Wright noticed that Hamish was 'rather quiet' but was otherwise well. At 8pm he began to be sick, vomiting clear liquid until at 10pm he was retching constantly.

Mrs Wright took him to the 24 hour Calder Veterinary Group, where she works as a receptionist. Tests revealed that Hamish's glucose level was high and it was thought he may be diabetic.

Mrs Wright left Hamish at the practice but was called at home to say he had been going 'starry-eyed' and was going into fits.

Sadly missed

She was called again at 7am to be told that Hamish had died.

"The vet said he couldn't have swallowed rat poison or slug pellets because they would have been able to deal with that. It was something stronger.

"Hamish was a lovely dog. He was a member of the family and the children miss him terribly.

The thing that worried me is that there were little children in the park. I looked at my son and thought that he could have picked something up when he was running around.

"Even if it wasn't drugs, I'm concerned there was something lethal in the park."

Park keeper John Teal said this marked the first time in his experience that heroin or ecstasy had been found in the park.

"I'm very sorry to hear about this. We carry out a litter pick every day and with me working in the park daily I talk to dog walkers. They've not told me of anything like this," he said.

"That isn't to say that nothing has ever been found, but as far as I know we don't have a big problem with drugs here."