When it comes to keeping our pets safe, most of us would go to the moon and back ten times over before letting one hair on their head come to harm. We put up fences, buy them organic food, and snuggle them at night to keep them from getting into trouble — though, sadly, we can’t protect them from everything. That’s why after one North Carolina woman tragically lost all three of her beloved pups, she made it her mission to expose the common-yet-deadly substance that led to her pets’ demise.
Perfect Life
An entrepreneur and realtor in Wilmington, Melissa Martin was living the dream. She had a great job and a loving girlfriend, though the thing that really made it all worthwhile was her three dogs, each one cuter than the next.
Melissa Martin / Facebook
Pride and Joy
Izzy and Abby, two West Highland terriers, and doodle-mix Harpo were Melissa’s pride and joys, which is why she always made sure to keep them in tip-top shape. But on one particularly hot summer day in August 2019, Melissa decided to let her pups cap off a long walk with a quick dip in a local pond.
Melissa Martin / Facebook
Cooling Off
This wasn’t the first time Melissa had let her dogs splash around in the pond, as she enjoyed watching her pups playing in the water no matter how muddy they got — the mess was worth it. A quick shower was usually all it took to clean everything off, though Melissa could never have known that this time, it wouldn’t be enough.
Melissa Martin / Facebook
Rub-a-Dub-Dub
Back at home, Melissa’s girlfriend Denise took over by giving Abby, Izzy, and Harpo a much needed scrub in their home’s second-floor bathroom. Melissa was downstairs when she suddenly heard Denise screaming for help.
via Reddit
Horrific Discovery
Rushing upstairs, Melissa was horrified to find her terrier Abby having a seizure. Grabbing Izzy and Harpo, she and Denise hurried the ailing pooch into their car and rushed her to the hospital.
sshepard / Getty Images
Tragic Turn
Yet no sooner did they arrive that Izzy suddenly began seizing as well. The vets tried everything they could to save the two dogs, but it was no use — and things were about to get even worse.
All Gone
Harpo also began to seize, and soon, his liver failed. By the time the clock struck midnight, all three of the dogs were gone. Melissa and Denise were numb. Just hours before, their precious pups had been the picture of health — now, they’d have to live the rest of their lives without them.
Melissa Martin / GoFundMe
Unimaginable Loss
The two wracked their brains for some explanation to the sudden tragedy — then, they remembered the pond. After revealing this information to the vet, she explained that the three dogs were likely poisoned by swimming in the blue-green algae growing in the pond.
More Questions Than Answers
Melissa and Denise were baffled — how could something as common as algae do so much harm? The vet explained that water-related illness and death are actually much more common in animals than people think, and most pet owners don’t realize the danger of letting their pets swim in the water.