Pet owners’ fears over council laying rat poison in forest park

Hillsborough-based Cromlyn House Veterinary Hospital and Clinic posted a photograph of a council warning sign on Facebook this week, prompting almost 270 comments in only 23 hours, many from worried pet owners.

The vet’s post said: “These signs have been reported in Hillsborough park- please be very careful. We are trying to contact the council to discuss the safety of this.”

Local dog sanctuary Lucy’s Trust also posted “a call to arms” on Facebook. It said: “Number one be very careful if you walk your dog in Hillsborough forest park, and number two.. please join me in contacting the council tomorrow to express your disgust (politely).” It added that cats hunting in the forest could be killed by eating poisoned rodents, as well as owls and foxes. It also urged people to stop leaving excess bread around ducks and to avoid littering.

UUP Alderman Jim Dillon knew of least one phone call to the council expressing concern. “But there has been a major renovation of the park including a new children’s playground and humane traps would not catch 1% of the rats”, he said.

A council spokeswoman said it began laying the poison after it became aware of “a sizable population” of rats.

“We have laid rodenticide in safe and secure rodent bait boxes which cannot be accessed by pets,” she said. “We erected signage in the locality to confirm the action in line with legislation and all risk assessments have been undertaken.”

She also asked the public to stop “excessive” feeding of bread to birds as this was helping grow the rat population. The USPCA urged dog walkers to exercise caution. “We would ask Lisburn & Castlereagh City Council to keep the public up to date with the process,” it added. There were reports of a “plague” of rats in the park in 2011 and 2015.

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