Vegetable oil found in SPCA water, tests show
Tank moved to more secure location, says SPCA president
Evan Kiyoshi French
Northern News Services
Friday, October 9, 2015
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Test results returned Wednesday show vegetable oil was present in water given to shelter dogs, according to the president of the SPCA.
SPCA employee Sue Matthews sits with Diesel, one of the shelter's dogs who may have drank water from an outdoor water tank found to be containing vegetable oil or grease identified through lab tests conducted in British Columbia. - Evan Kiyoshi French/NNSL photo |
Nicole Spencer said the sample was handed over to the RCMP after shelter workers found a mysterious oily liquid in an outdoor drinking water tank last month, having discovered their water contaminated in the same way early in August. Spencer said the tests found a "fatty vegetable oil, or grease" and she's certain it was deliberately added to the water tank with the intention of harming the animals.
"Why would somebody just pour it in there?" said Spencer. "I'm sure it would give them diarrhea."
Spencer said she is glad the substance wasn't something more poisonous, but she's still worried about the safety of the dogs.
"It could have been a lot worse," she said. "If somebody is willing to put this in the water supply, who is to say they wouldn't put something more harmful."
Michael Hughes, a vet working at the Yellowknife Veterinary Clinic, said adding any oil to drinking water is potentially harmful.
"If you let any oil go rancid and you eat it, it's going to make you sick," he said. "You'll get bacterial overgrowth in the water for sure. That could be an issue. The only thing I'd be concerned about is if something was mixed with the oil that maybe they haven't picked up (in testing)."
Const. Elenore Sturko, spokesperson for Yellowknife RCMP, said police delivered the same sample to a local lab and it was sent to another lab in B.C. for analysis, as well.
Spencer said the SPCA has moved the water tank in view of one of its three security cameras. She said they will not be using it again until next summer. She added there's no way to know how much contaminated water the dogs drank, since they have no way of knowing when the oil was added. She said they won't be taking chances next year when they begin using the outdoor tank again.
"Next year we'll be putting a lock or something on there to make it less accessible," she said. "We're just trying to keep our eyes open. With the winter season it'll be darker now but it'll be colder. People could still put things in there but there's no water in there. Before we use it again we'll make sure it's all cleaned for next year."
Sturko said police aren't investigating any further.
"If anyone in Yellowknife has any information regarding this incident, even though the file is closed, they're still encouraged to contact the RCMP," she said. "But at this time, without any further information, it's concluded."
