The Pet Poisoners: A Continuing Threat to Animals in Rural Lanzarote

David Riebold tackles the recurring problem of animal poisonings in rural Lanzarote.

I used to think that I only liked wild animals and believed that cats and dogs were just not for me. As I developed my little wildlife garden here in Haría I got increasingly distressed by cats killing the birds and lizards.

As for dogs, they once seemed to me either dangerously aggressive or slavishly dependent, a prejudice that quickly softened when my son adopted Louie, an animal whose enthusiasm and affection were impossible to resist. When he was a few months old, I took Louie for a walk and he ate something placed in the street that had been poisoned.

When we got home convulsions started and despite the best efforts of our fine local vet, he died in my arms. Several other cats and dogs in the North of the island then suffered a similar fate.

I was hugely impressed by the response of the Guardia Civil who were very sympathetic while taking my statement and the next day a team of officers with trained sniffer dogs came to search for any more poisoned bait.

Nowadays, I am a newly-minted dog lover – my dear little dog Lua has done more than anything else to cheer me up since I lost my dear wife some years ago, miles better than any therapy or medication! However, when we set out for a walk last month, I met some neighbours who told me that some poisonings have started again. I quickly picked up Lua and went back indoors, trying (and failing) to understand the mentality of the poisoner.

Some blame the poisonings on hunters, who use greyhound-like podencos to sniff out their prey. A hunting dog will easily get distracted by the scent left by another dog, so I presume reducing that source of confusion is the motive for this pet slaughter.

Most podencos are kept caged up until the hunting season so were not themselves in danger from a deadly treat left in the street. However, both this year and last the podencos themselves were apparently targeted, possibly by disgruntled farmers.

In 2025, 24 cases were counted, including hunting dogs, cats, hedgehogs and ravens, a species in danger of extinction. More recently a friend’s dog was affected while they were taking a walk in the countryside – fortunately I remembered the vet’s attempt to save Louie, squirting peroxide down the throat to induce vomiting, happily, it worked this time.

I recommend keeping some peroxide (agua oxigenada) and a syringe handy as a precaution if you live in Haria district. If you are sure a poisoning has occurred, a rapid response may be essential.

In a recent edition of our local newspaper, ‘La Voz’, a Haría resident suggested that if there are any pet poisonings next hunting season, then bereaved pet lovers should buy a few kilos of aniseed balls (like catnip for dogs) which will be immediately scattered around the countryside ruining hunters’ prospects. The legality of such an action is doubtful, and it possibly risks escalating conflict, but it reflects the anger many pet owners feel in the face of repeated killings.