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Dog owners urge caution at Anton Lakes after puppy dies

Jordan Shearman Jordan Shearman and Hannah Washington with puppy RooJordan Shearman
Mr Shearman says he "can't even begin to describe the pain" he and partner Hannah Washington are in after Roo died

A couple have warned other dog walkers about a "potentially dangerous" lake after their puppy died following a dip.

Hannah Washington and her partner Jordan Shearman, from Andover, have urged Test Valley Borough Council to check Anton Lakes for blue algae.

Mr Shearman explained how their cocker spaniel Roo began fitting and passed away shortly after going into the Hampshire lake on 30 April.

The cause of death is unknown but the council is going to test for the algae.

Phil North, leader of the local council, said: "As a fellow dog owner, I was extremely saddened to hear about Roo's passing following a walk at Anton Lakes.

"Although no cause of death has been confirmed with the council, following feedback from the vet we are taking a precautionary approach and are working with the Environment Agency to test the water for blue-green algae."

He said while the algae occurs naturally in bodies of freshwater it can be potentially dangerous and urged people and pets to stay out of the water while they await the test results.

Jordan Sheaman Cocker spaniel RooJordan Sheaman
Roo began struggling to breathe and foaming at the mouth after swimming in the lake, says Mr Shearman

Mr Shearman said they had taken Roo to the lakes many times but recently noticed the areas he would usually swim were "incredibly dirty".

He told the BBC: "The only thing we started to notice at the end of this walk was that his eyes became a little droopy... we figured he had gotten too much water in his eyes so we decided to end the walk and return to the car."

When they arrived home five minutes later, the puppy was "extremely agitated and struggling to stand up" so they took him straight to a nearby veterinary clinic.

"While in my arms, Roo began to have fits, struggling to breath, foaming at the mouth, it was the worst experience of my life," he said.

Despite the best efforts of the vet to save him, the puppy died a short time later, he said.

Mr Shearman added that while the vet was unable to pinpoint what caused Roo's death he wanted to warn other dog walkers in Andover "that Anton Lakes is potentially dangerous and to avoid that location until further notice".

The council said it hopes to get the results of the water tests by the end of next week.

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