A woman in Kent has taken the drastic step of keeping her pets confined indoors after repeatedly discovering dead animals in her garden. Laura Hansen, 59, found the corpses of a rat and a pigeon within a week, leading her to believe that poison from a nearby construction site is to blame.
Lockdown for pets
Hansen, a resident of Newington, has banned her two chihuahuas, Hunni and Moose, and her cats, Big Ted and Lucky, from going outside. She fears they could be poisoned if they come into contact with the dead animals. 'My cats and dogs are now on lockdown,' she said. 'They love going out there every day. If they'd eaten that poisoned rat or pigeon, they would have become poisoned too.'
She expressed concern for her pets' well-being, noting that her cats are struggling with being kept indoors. 'My cats are used to roaming and they're really struggling. I've had to buy cat litter trays. Obviously, I can take the dogs out on leads, but I can't explain to the cats why they can't go outside.'
Developer denies using poison
The housing development, Newington Green by Dandara, was approved on appeal in 2023 after initial denial on pollution grounds. A spokesperson for Dandara stated, 'No chemical pest control methods are being used. Where wildlife management measures are required, only humane, ecologist-approved methods are employed.' The company emphasized their commitment to environmental regulations and ecological protection.
Community concerns
Hansen, who has lived in the area for 17 years, noted that wildlife has always been present, but she has never before found poisoned animals. She worries about the broader impact on pets and wildlife in the village. 'When a rat is poisoned it can take days to die. It wanders around and becomes weak, which means it becomes easy prey for other animals. If a fox, a cat or a dog comes into contact with it, that's where the problem spreads.'
Another resident, construction worker Robert Lee, expressed concern for his children's safety. 'If they had been on our property on the trampolines where my kids go, then they can spread that poison.'
Frustration with authorities
Hansen contacted Swale council and Kent County Council, but was told to double-bag the animals and put them in the bin. She found this advice unsatisfactory. 'These are potentially poisoned animals. Surely there must be a better way than putting them in the rubbish?'
Dandara reiterated that all site activities are supervised by a qualified ecologist and that they incorporate features to encourage wildlife, such as hedgehog highways and bird nesting boxes. They assured residents that there is no risk to local wildlife or pets from construction work.
