Woman urges caution after dogs die following day at NC pond

NC- (AccuWeather)With the dog days of summer upon us, many residents may head to their local beaches or lakes to cool off from the heat. Some may want to take their furry friends to splash around in the water. But before diving in with your pets, beware of toxic algae that could be lurking in the water and is deadly to canines.

Last Thursday, tragedy struck a doggy play date at a local pond near midtown Wilmington, North Carolina, when three pups died swimming in water containing toxic algae. Melissa Martin and Denise Mintz took their beloved dogs Abby, Izzy and Harpo to cool off from the intense summer heat.

Within about 15 minutes after leaving the lake, all three of the dogs quickly began exhibiting signs of sickness. Abby, a West Highland white terrier, was the first to show symptoms when she suffered a seizure. The owners initially thought she had been stung by an insect, but then Izzy, a westie, started seizing, Martin wrote in a Facebook post.

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