A dog has died just 40 minutes after eating a poisonous plant called ‘dead man’s fingers’ while walking on the beach.
Lula, a Collie-Labrador cross, died shortly after eating elodea, one of the most poisonous plants in Britain.
She was walking in Lyme Regis, Dorset, with a dog sitter when she ate the plant.
Lula then suffered from seizures and spasms before She tragically died in the car on the way to the vet.
The discovery of dead man’s fingers has led to Lyme Regis Council ordering the removal of the plant from the banks of the River Lim and sending warning letters to local landowners.
Lula (pictured), a Collie-Labrador cross, died shortly after eating water licorice, one of the most poisonous plants in Britain.
The remains of the hemlock water licorice herb that Lula ate while walking on the beach in Lyme Regis, Dorset
Lula’s owner, Dr Kirsten Young, was working for Greenpeace and the University of Exeter in the Azores when the sad accident happened.
Flora Bamford, 60, a family friend, received a frantic phone call from Dr Young after hearing that Lula had become ill during the walk.
She said, ‘Kirsten had just flown to Portugal where she works.
‘She had a dog sitter take Lula to Church Beach in Lyme Regis.
‘I got a call from Kirsten. She said the babysitter had called in a panic and that Lula was having convulsions and spasms.
‘She was walking on the beach and ate something that turned out to be the root of the pennywort.
“It’s really dangerous. The time between eating the plant and the time she got infected was only 15 minutes.
‘People were great, one guy emptied his beach cart and put Lula in it, I got them off the bell tower and managed to get her in my car.
Pictured is the parsnip-like root of the plant. The plant has been described as the most poisonous in Britain, and no British plant has been responsible for more fatalities. People have died in the past from ingesting it.
The discovery of a dead man’s fingers has led to Lyme Regis Council ordering the removal of the plant from the bank of the River Lim and sending warning letters to local landowners.
‘I went to Axminster vets and she was having terrible fits and there was blood coming out of her mouth. Lula died before we reached the A35.
“It was horrible. About 40 minutes after she ate the plant, she was dead.”
The plant is described as the most poisonous in Britain, and no British plant is responsible for more fatalities. People have died from ingesting it in the past.
Mrs Bamford added: ‘The vet didn’t even know what it was, but the dog sitter went back to the beach and found the remains of the plant.
‘It grows by the Lim River, it’s the roots that are dangerous to both dogs and people. A storm must have blown them all onto the beach.
‘Who knows how many are on that beach, but it is worrying because it is a popular dog beach.’
Mark Green, Deputy Town Clerk at Lyme Regis Borough Council, said: ‘We have never had an incident of this magnitude at this factory before and it is fair to say that this was a one-off.
‘It was a huge shock to everyone.
‘The Lim River is not our responsibility, but we remove the plant from the bank wherever we can.
‘We have also drafted a letter that we are sending to all landowners along the river, which contains information about the factory and its potential risks.
“We ask that they do not cut it and throw it in the river. We also put up signs to warn people about this plant.”