SALT LAKE CITY — Dog training areas in Salt Lake City are closed until further notice. Because of possible contamination that killed 6 dogs.
The area is located at Lee Kay Public Shooting Range at 6000 West 2100 South, but is not within range. but in a separate wildlife conservation practice area.
According to dog owner and trainer Eric Fryer, Lee Kay Preserve is one of the few places with a dog trainer.
“There’s really nowhere in any state here that comes close to what we have at Lee Kay,” he says. or do you want to go At the highest level of competition, you need water, and you need clean water to teach them to swim. Teach them to do what we want them to do.”
Officials reported that on Saturday They were told that six dogs currently training in the area had vomiting and diarrhea.
On May 12, dog trainers brought 13 dogs to the training area over an eight-day training period, explains Utah Division of Wildlife Resources spokeswoman Faith Heaton Jolley.
“Dog owners have reported noticing some dogs eating salt-like layers on the grass near the water’s edge,” she said.
The trainer let the dogs roam the grounds and into the well. Later I noticed that the dog was vomiting.
The photograph shows a light gray matter near the water. which may be a source of bacteria
Utah Water Quality Division
Utah Water Quality Division
The illness did not resolve and one dog had to be euthanized while five others died soon after. The entire conservation area is closed to the public until the cause of the deaths of the six dogs can be confirmed.
“Scientists said there was no visible evidence of harmful algae in the water at that point, but they said it appeared to be growing of some kind. They thought there might be cyanobacterial components on some of those grasses along the shoreline of the pond.”
Testing is underway to determine if there is contamination in the dog training area. But until the investigation is completed A padlock is placed on the door to prevent other dogs from dying.
Experts believe there is some kind of bacteria in the area. But they are waiting for the test results to determine exactly what happened.
“We are working with the Utah Department of Water Quality. and will take necessary precautionary measures to ensure the safety of visitors to the training ground. before reopening the area for public use,” a statement from the officials read. “Public safety and the welfare of the dogs that use this facility are of the utmost importance to us. We offer our condolences to the dog owners for the tragic loss of these dogs.”
According to Fryer, the Wasatch Hunting Retriever Club had to cancel its annual Memorial Day weekend testing event, which saw more than 300 registered dogs.
“I’ve been going to Lee Kay since the mid-’90s,” he says. “Now I’m out there about four or five days a week. I’ve never had a problem with my dog.”
Utah Division of Water Quality researchers are still awaiting test results. The area will remain closed due to extreme caution.