This archive report was first published on 13 August 2019.
Published on August 13, 2019, a warning was issued to pet owners in Austin, Texas, to keep their animals away from Lady Bird Lake due to the presence of harmful algae.
Tests confirmed the presence of a neurotoxin from algae in one area of the lake, known as Red Bud Isle. The advisory remained in effect after the test results were announced.
Tragically, a dog in Georgia died after visiting a lake in the state. Morgan and Patrick Fleming of Marietta, Georgia, took their Border collie, Arya, to Lake Allatoona on Saturday. The animal became ill and died from what a veterinarian said was 'most likely' an algal toxin.
According to Val Beasley, a professor of veterinary, wildlife and ecological toxicology sciences at Pennsylvania State University, algal toxin poisoning is a common occurrence during this time of year. 'A lot of times, the neurotoxins will kill the animal before they can get to the veterinarian,' he said.
Beasley also noted that there were no nationwide figures of dog deaths from the poisoning. In a separate incident, a dog owner in North Carolina reported that her dog, Harpo, jumped into a pond in Wilmington, N.C., on Thursday. The dog's owner, Melissa Martin, said that Harpo seemed fine after the incident, but later became ill and died.
