Posted on 21 August 2013 – Singaporeseen (Stomp Website)

A Jack Russell terrier was poisoned to death after eating bread left behind by an employee from a pest control firm meant to cull pigeons.

According to a report in The Straits Times, the incident happened on July 22 at Block 412, Commonwealth Avenue West.

Tiger, the Jack Russell, had apparently swallowed poisoned bait left by the side of the Housing Board block.

The 10-year-old pet started limping, trembling and foaming at its mouth, its eyes bulging.

Tiger’s owner Mr Chan was shocked and confused to see his pet like that and rushed it to Mount Pleasant Animal Medical Centre in Sunset Way but it died on the way there.

A vet that the 37-year-old former bank analyst saw confirmed that poison was the cause of death.

Tiger’s owners also said they feared children playing nearby could touch the bread and get poison on their hands.

The West Coast Town Council told The Straits Times it had warned its pest control contractor to comply with safety procedures.

Residents used to be notified before the culling started, but it stopped because people kept deliberately feeding the pigeons in advance so they were too full to take the bait.

The employee from Clean Solutions had laid the bait and went to check for nuisance birds at two other blocks, before coming back.

This contradicts AVA guidelines that say somebody should be on hand to supervise the whole process.