Dogs are mysteriously dying in this Southern California beach town. What is behind it?

A wave of mysterious dog deaths in Venice, Calif., is causing concern for locals in the popular Los Angeles County beach town.

Venice is known as a dog-friendly area, with many residents regularly seen walking their pets along the neighborhood’s signature canals. However, since July, at least seven dogs have died, and 11 more have fallen ill, following walks near the canals, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.

The dogs were reportedly healthy prior to these walks, with one as young as 6 months old. However, after walking near the canals, the dogs reportedly experienced a variety of sudden and severe symptoms such as lethargy, nausea, seizures and weakness, as well as neurological symptoms and cardiac arrest, according to a report from ABC News.

Residents have not received any concrete answers about what happened to these dogs. One pet owner, Eric Torres, took his 4-year-old dog, Chloe, to the vet after she collapsed and experienced a seizure following their 4-mile walk around the canals. Chloe died hours after receiving medical attention, and blood and urine test results were inconclusive for poisonings, the Los Angeles Times said. It was only after Torres saw news reports about other dogs dying following canal visits that he began to suspect there may be a common cause.

Now members of the community are sounding warning bells, posting signs and social media posts instructing pet owners to avoid the canals, and also urging them not to let dogs share water bowls or sniff the ground on a walk.

The Venice Canals Association posted on Instagram: “Our hearts go out to the families who have lost their beloved companions. These dogs were not just pets — they were family, and treasured members of our community.”

Potential theories circulating about the dog deaths

As of now, no definitive cause has been identified for the deaths of these pets. The L.A. Department of Sanitation is now testing the canal water, and the county health department is collecting vet reports to investigate what is causing the local dogs to fall ill.

As they wait for answers, some Venice residents are pointing to something in the canal water as a possible cause. One local resident, Elaine Scott, told KTLA that there is a strong smell coming from the canals, noting that the stench on the eastern side of the canals is “horrific.”

“You have to hold your breath to avoid getting sick from the smell,” Scott shared. “It has never smelled this bad.”

According to KTLA, a dead duck was also spotted in the Venice canals, leading to further concerns that the environment in the canals may be leading to the deaths of animals.

Karen Halligan, a senior veterinarian at Marina Veterinary Center, suggested to the Los Angeles Times that the deaths could potentially be due to “some type of cyanobacteria poisoning from the algae from the environment.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this blue-green algae produces toxins, which can cause animals to “get very sick or die within hours” after swallowing them. This algae is also more likely to thrive during warm, sunny days, such as in the summer months.

Other residents, however, believe the cause of the deaths may not have to do with the canals at all, with one neighbor, per the Los Angeles Times, posting signs around their home about the presence of “snail poison” in the area that could be harming the dogs. Signs around the canals also warn of potential poisonings related to snail bait, weed killer and rat poison, according to Los Angeles Magazine.

Has anything like this happened before?

While this is the first time a number of dogs have reportedly died after spending time near the Venice canals, there have been other reports of pet deaths near bodies of water. In 2019, six dogs died after spending time in Lady Bird Lake in Austin, Texas. Toxic blue-green algae was the cause of these deaths, and the city is now implementing a program to remove the algae from the lake.

That same year, three dogs died hours after swimming in a North Carolina pond — another case of blue-green algae poisoning.

In order to keep your pets safe, avoid allowing them near still, scummy or foamy water, which may be contaminated with algae. Should your dog enter any natural water, rinse off the animal immediately and watch for signs like vomiting or lethargy. If symptoms appear, seek emergency vet care right away.