1080 poison suspected as three dogs die

Three dogs have died of suspected 1080 poisoning in Tauranga and those grieving their loss say they weren't sufficiently notified about the poison drop.
A vet has confirmed 1080 poisoning is the most likely cause of death and the Department of Conservation is also upset it wasn't told about the operation in Pyes Pa last month.
By law 1080 must not be spread within a 150m radius of an occupied dwelling.
EPRO was the pest control company which laid the 1080 for forestry company PF Olsen.
An EPRO spokesperson said the company's standard procedure was to notify adjacent landowners by putting a Pest Control Neighbourhood Notification form in their letterbox or stapling it to a gatepost. They are also legally required to put signs in the area.
But Debra Stewart said signs posted to logs on the roadside about 150m from her home were the only indication she had that 1080 had been dropped nearby.
"We were absolutely not notified," she said.
She, her partner Guy Prestney and their son, Robbie, 12, live on Mangatoi Rd just over 1km from the poisoned block. On the night their two dogs died Mr Prestney arrived home about 9.45pm to find Billy _ a five-year-old bulldog cross _ barking frantically and sprinting around the house.
Minutes later the dog dropped dead in a puddle.
The next morning Mr Prestney also discovered the body of Rosie, their eight-year-old red heeler.
Vet Scott Raleigh said the rapid death Mr Prestney described and the fact both dogs were dead meant "poisoning became pretty high up the list".
"I'd feel pretty comfortable in saying that 1080 is the most likely cause of the two dogs dying."
At the time Mr Raleigh discussed the possibility of an autopsy with Mr Prestney. However, the family deemed the $400 test for 1080 poison too expensive.
In 22 years as a vet in Tauranga, Mr Raleigh said he had only seen two confirmed cases of 1080 poisoning.
"We don't see it very often at all because usually the people [distributing 1080] are pretty good at letting people know."
Six days earlier, the family's neighbour, Alcwyn Russell, 27, found his one-year-old pitbull, Tyson, dead on his chain.
Following the dogs' deaths Mr Prestney and Mr Russell both found possum remains near their houses. Ms Stewart is convinced the poisoned possum came up to the house as her dogs didn't normally wander off.
"When they kill a possum they don't bring it home."
But a spokesperson for EPRO said a poisoned possum could travel only 100-200m before dying.
Mr Russell did receive a pest control notification, dropped to his home on June 21. But he was concerned that 1080 didn't kill possums immediately.
"If there's a dead possum on your property you can't really stop your dogs eating it," he said.
The Tauranga office of the Department of Conservation was also in the dark about the poison drop and ranger Dave Wills said it would have been courteous of EPRO to inform them.
However, EPRO said DOC staff had the opportunity to attend quarterly meetings in Taupo where poisoning was discussed.
Meanwhile, Ms Stewart's son, Robbie, is missing the Billy terribly.
"He was the best dog ever. He would chase me on the motorbike, play basketball and softball," he said.