A DOG owner has been left heartbroken after her precious pooch contracted a contagious virus which she claims has killed a dozen others in the area.
Natasha Yeo, of Jaywick, rushed her 14-month-old Staffordshire Bull Terrier cross to the vets on Monday after she started showing signs of being extremely unwell.
After being given an anti-sickness injection Spirit was initially discharged on the assumption she had a gastric bug but the next morning she started to deteriorate.
Following an inspection at a different vets she was diagnosed with having Parvovirus, a highly infectious and fatal disease which attacks cells in the intestines.
Tragically, Spirit fell victim to the deadly virus at 5.05pm on Tuesday and her sibling Cookie is also said to now be displaying concerning symptoms.
Natasha said: “My dogs have been kept in the garden for the past four weeks after we found out about a bad case of Parvo in Jaywick but my girl still managed to catch it.
“My baby girl then passed away while I was holding her in my arms. I am truly heartbroken.
“Spirit, mummy will love you always and forever. You are no longer in pain.”
Natasha has now issued a stern warning to other Jaywick dog owners after claiming as many as 11 pooches have now died in recent days, reportedly from Parvovirus.
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“People are still walking their dogs around, letting them poo everywhere and not cleaning it up, this is why this has spread so bad,” she added.
“It is not safe to walk dogs at the moment so please, please stop walking your dogs until this is under control.”
Natasha’s friend, Beth Lyons, also of Jaywick, says her young dog is thankfully in good health but worries other pooches in the coastal village could become infected.
She said: “I am very scared for all dogs, not just my own pup, who is currently grounded to the back garden.
“I am a major dog lover and I actually know more people in Jaywick through their dogs than I do personally.
“It is a terrible virus and I have had reports saying this virus has gone as far as Clear Point and right down to Walton.
“Our fur babies are not just dogs, they are family, and losing a beloved pet is like losing a child.”
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