In the quiet Cayo District community of El Progresso Seven Miles Village, a disturbing wave of unexplained pet deaths has left residents on edge and demanding urgent answers from authorities. Over the past several days, at least five dogs and one cat have been found dead in unclear circumstances, a cluster of fatalities that has shaken local pet owners and triggered official reports to both village leadership and regional police.
While no definitive cause of death has been formally confirmed by officials, widespread suspicion among residents centers on accidental or intentional poisoning. One local resident, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, shared the harrowing experience of losing their own dog amid the outbreak. The resident explained that three days before the interview, their dog began displaying abnormal behavior, progressing to visible foaming at the mouth and severe whole-body trembling before its death.
Pointing to a farmed plot located just a short distance from residential homes, the resident noted that local landowners sometimes lay poison to control nuisance wildlife like iguanas and rodent populations, leaving open the possibility that pets were inadvertently exposed to the toxic substances. The resident, who was out of the country when their dog died, shared that officials from the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) reached out to express concern and request additional information about linked exposed animals, but had not followed up with an in-person visit as of the interview.
Veterinarian Dr. Orlando Baptist, who assessed the case based on reported symptoms and social media footage of the affected animals, told reporters that poisoning aligns most closely with the observed clinical signs. Dr. Baptist explained that while distemper — a common viral disease in canines — can cause seizures, symptoms typically progress gradually rather than appearing abruptly, and most cases can be prevented through routine vaccination. In this incident, he noted, affected animals experienced sudden, violent seizures, with multiple pets dying in a short time frame — a pattern that strongly points to poisoning as the cause, even without an in-person autopsy.
Dr. Baptist added guidance for pet owners who suspect their animal has been exposed to poison: urgent veterinary care is critical, as timely supportive treatment can drastically improve a poisoned animal’s chance of survival. This report is a transcript of an evening television newscast, with Kriol language statements transcribed using a standardized spelling system for accuracy.