A pensioner has told how her dog went into a zombie-like trance and nearly died after eating drugs left behind by campers at a Highland Perthshire beauty spot.
Vets confirmed the Labrador was poisoned after swallowing an unknown substance from the shore of Loch Rannoch.
The day before, the site had been visited by a small group of campers who left behind bags of rubbish, beer cans and fishing equipment.
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It is thought the dog may have been drugged after eating human waste which was contaminated with an illicit substance.
Her owner, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals, is now calling for tougher action to protect parts of Perthshire from an expected rush of campers later this summer.
She said: “It’s a terrible situation and it looks like its going to get a lot worse after lockdown.
“Everyone is dreading what’s going to happen.”
‘She was completely vacant, like a zombie’
She said she had discovered the mess left behind at the water’s edge on Sunday, and returned the next day with her 13-year-old Lab.
“I have a holiday cottage near the river and I was working in there,” she said.
“My dog was just wondering around outside, quite happily.
“Then about half an hour later I went to take her for a walk, but she wouldn’t respond to me.
“I said ‘come on, it’s walkies’ but she was just looking into space.
“When I tried to touch her, she just jumped as if she was getting a fright.
“I didn’t recognise her behaviour at all. She was completely vacant, like a zombie.
“She kept twitching and I was worried that she might have suffered a stroke, or had been bitten by an adder, so I contacted the vets.”
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Neurotoxin poisoning
Vets confirmed her dog had been poisoned by a neurotoxin, mostly likely from eating human waste containing drugs.
“Labradors will eat just about anything and there was excrement from these people left lying,” she said.
“I have since heard from another dog owner, who said exactly the same thing happened to them.”
The pet was put on a drip and kept under observation overnight. She was well enough to come home the next day.
“It was a worry because I know this can kill dogs,” said the owner.
“She is quite old, but she’s also quite fit and lively.”
The owner has now called for more efforts to prevent a repeat of last summer’s trouble, when thousands descended on hotspots across Perthshire, including Loch Rannoch, Loch Tummel and Clunie Loch near Blairgowrie.
“It is such a problem now, and it really has to be tackled at government level,” she said.
“The local authorities have great difficulties passing by-laws to protect the area from these problems, but the government could make things a lot easier.
“The tactic seems to be to keep offering advice, but I don’t think the sort of people who leave this kind of mess are the sort of people who follow advice.”