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Crufts poisoning: Irish Setter dies after being poisoned while competing at the dog show Crufts poisoning: Irish Setter dies after being poisoned while competing at the dog show
(about 11 hours later)
A dog has died at home in Belgium after being poisoned while competing at Crufts, his owners have confirmed. Crufts, the international jamboree of canine excellence, found itself at the centre of allegations of lower deeds on Sunday after a prize-winning Irish Setter collapsed and died of a suspected poisoning within a day of appearing at the renowned dog show.
The three-year-old Irish Setter Thendara Satisfaction, known as Jagger, collapsed and died on Friday after competing at the tournament. He had come second in his class while competing at the dog show. The three-year-old pedigree called Jagger suffered a sudden and painful death at the Belgian home of his joint owners on Friday night some 24 hours after competing at the annual gathering in Birmingham.
His vet’s initial findings showed he was poisoned, while a full autopsy and toxicology report which will identify the poison is expected tomorrow.  A police investigation is also underway. A post-mortem examination found cubes of meat in the stomach of the Irish Setter which contained granules of material identified by a vet as a likely cocktail of slow-acting poisons. Toxicology tests are now being carried out to identify the suspected toxins.
Jagger’s co-owner and breeder, Dee Milligan Bott, does not believe a fellow dog shower would have poisoned another dog, believing instead that it is more likely to have been a member of the public. Willem Lauwers, 36, whose wife Aleksandra raised Jagger with his British co-owner, told The Independent the only possible time when the dog could have ingested the meat is when he was briefly left unattended at Crufts on Thursday morning.
“They have so many people who are just from the general public visiting, which you don’t get at every show,” Milligan Bott told The Independent. Belgian police and the RSPCA have been informed while the Kennel Club, which runs Crufts, is examining CCTV footage to see if it might yield clues as to the identity of any potential poisoner.
“We’re at dog shows week-in week-out. Everyone goes to Crufts and I think it was just some mad dog person, some dog hater. Speaking from his home in the eastern Belgium, Mr Lauwers  said he and his wife were hoping the incident was not the work of a fellow exhibitor at the Crufts, which is the world’s biggest dog show and has seen an influx of foreign competitors in recent years.
“I don’t believe for a moment it was anyone who shows dogs. They would never want to do something like this.” He said: “It is extremely upsetting. The dogs were with us at all times other than a short period on Thursday so that is logically the only time when it could have happened. We are very certain it is poisoning - he was a very healthy dog.
She believes it was most likely a pre-meditated act in which someone fed Jagger small, poisoned cubes of meat. “We got home and it was clear things were not right. We called the dogs to feed them and Jagger collapsed. He was dead very soon after that.
“I don’t want to believe it was a fellow exhibitor who would do this. I think Jagger was the wrong dog in the wrong place and I’m hoping it was just some maniac who wanted to poison a dog.”
Jagger, whose show name was Thendara Satisfaction, was one of several dogs brought to Crufts by the Lauwers and his brother, Thendara Pot Noodle, was named best in breed.
Irish setters rest in their sleeping area at Crufts 2015 (Jagger not pictured)Irish setters rest in their sleeping area at Crufts 2015 (Jagger not pictured)
The Kennel Club, which organises Crufts, has said it is unclear what had happened but would do all they could to support police enquiries. Dee Milligan-Bott, the dogs’ British co-owner, said the death was the latest in a line of incidents at other shows and the possibility of a poisoning motivated by jealousy could not be ruled out.
"The Kennel Club is deeply shocked and saddened to hear that Jagger the Irish Setter died some 26 hours after leaving Crufts," said Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary. She told the Dog World website: “It’s been suggested that someone’s really got it in for us, and to not let it get to us. We’re very proud of our record and maybe some people aren’t happy.”
"We have spoken to his owners and our heartfelt sympathies go out to them. We understand that the toxicology report is due next week and until that time we cannot know the cause of this tragic incident." The Kennel Club said it was “deeply shocked and saddened” by the death. Caroline Kisko, the organisation’s secretary, said: “We understand that the toxicology report is due next week and until that time we cannot know the cause of this tragic incident.”
West Midlands Police said it had not as yet had the dogs death formally reported to it. In the meantime, Mr Lauwers vowed that he and his wife would continue showing their dogs.
He said: “These dogs are like members of our family - they live in the house with us and a death like this is devastating. But we are not commercial breeders - these dogs are our passion and our hobby and we will continue to show them. We cannot let this put us off.
Claire Balding tweeted her shock at Jagger’s poisoning, saying everyone at Crufts was “horrified” at his death.Claire Balding tweeted her shock at Jagger’s poisoning, saying everyone at Crufts was “horrified” at his death.
Everyone at #Crufts2015 horrified at death of Irish Setter Jagger & post-mortem found poison. Awful for all concerned http://t.co/8BvYS1TS28Everyone at #Crufts2015 horrified at death of Irish Setter Jagger & post-mortem found poison. Awful for all concerned http://t.co/8BvYS1TS28