Poisoned meat found in west London parks

Police in west London have warned dog owners after suspected poisoned chicken was found in Holland Park and Brompton Cemetery, with one dog falling seriously ill and two foxes found dead. (yahoo.com) The Metropolitan Police said reports came in over several days and officers suspect the meat may have been left deliberately “to either harm foxes or dogs.” The force said the dog that ate some of the meat became “very unwell.” (uk.news.yahoo.com) The alert centers on two busy green spaces in Kensington and Chelsea: Holland Park, a 22.5-hectare park, and Brompton Cemetery, a major public cemetery and walking route nearby. Both sit in areas with regular dog walking and wildlife activity. (rbkc.gov.uk) (met.police.uk) The warning matters because suspected baiting cases can hit pets and urban wildlife at the same time. In this case, police linked the same reports to a sick dog and two dead foxes with no obvious injuries. (yahoo.com) Holland Park is also home to the borough’s Ecology Centre and wildlife area, which puts the reports inside a park used for both recreation and conservation. That has pushed the incident beyond a routine pet-safety warning. (rbkc.gov.uk) Local authorities already regulate some animal-related behavior around these parks. Kensington and Chelsea has a Public Spaces Protection Order that bans deliberately depositing food in some nearby public areas to attract wildlife or vermin. (rbkc.gov.uk) The Metropolitan Police has not, from the reports published so far, identified a suspect or said what toxin may have been involved. Public statements have focused on warning people to stay alert and keep animals away from discarded food. (yahoo.com) For now, the case is being treated as a live local safety issue rather than an isolated park hazard: meat was reportedly found more than once, in more than one location, over multiple days. (uk.news.yahoo.com)