AN “EVIL person” who threw poisoned sausages into the garden of a Lovedean dog owner may have struck elsewhere in the area.

The Woodman family had a Christmas to forget as their beautiful German shepherd, Skyla, became seriously ill after eating sausages packed with rat poison.

Skyla was taken to the vets late last month after she was discovered eating a sausage laced with crushed pink pellets in the family garden.

The dog was seriously ill for a period but a further three meat parcels all containing the same pink pellets were thrown into the garden of their Elmeswelle Road home over the following days.

The police, Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and environmental health officers have all been contacted by the family in a bid to get the “horrible evil act stopped”.

Skyla is now “pretty much back to her normal self” although her owners check the garden regularly and are planning to install CCTV at their home in the near future.

But there are concerns the culprit may have also struck in Clanfield as a dog owned by a St James Place resident died on January 7, with the vet treating the dog also suspecting rat poison as the cause of death.

The death was reported on Facebook the following day while more sausages reportedly containing the same pink pellets have been found over the last week on the Centurion Way footpath near Chichester and along parts of Hayling seafront.

The RSPCA is aware of the Lovedean poisoning and has urged anyone who is aware of similar cases to report them immediately.

“We were contacted on New Year’s Eve by the owner of a dog in Lovedean that has sadly consumed what is thought to have been meat that had been laced with some sort of poison,” said regional press officer for the RSPCA Suzanne Norbury.

“As far as I’m aware, we haven’t had the others reported to us as yet so we would encourage anyone with concerns to contact us so we can investigate.

“Anyone who has seen anything suspicious should contact us on 0300 123 8018 or the police on 101.

“If you are concerned that your pet may have been poisoned then please contact your vet immediately.”

Signs that your pet may have been poisoned could include depression, lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea, breathing difficulties, twitches or seizures and appearing drunk and uncoordinated.

Under the Animal Welfare Act, the penalties for anyone convicted of poisoning an animal include prison or a £20,000 fine.