A family in Drumchapel, Scotland, are grieving after their rescue dog, Chase, died from an E. coli infection believed to have been contracted from flooding in their garden. Irene McGhee, 39, adopted Chase, a Staffordshire bull terrier cross, at 18 months old, hoping he would help her youngest daughter come out of her shell.
The problems began in November 2022 when poor weather caused flooding in Ms McGhee's back garden. She reported the issue to Pineview Housing Association but was told to wait until summer to see if the situation improved. In April 2023, Chase started losing fur and developed lumps and cuts on his skin.
Ms McGhee took Chase to the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), where he was given antibiotics for a suspected infection. After 13 weeks of treatment with no improvement, a private vet took a swab and diagnosed E. coli. Ms McGhee believes the bacteria came from the stagnant water and algae in her garden.
Despite daily calls to the housing association from May to September, Ms McGhee alleges they only took action after Chase's death two weeks ago. 'Chase was a brilliant dog,' she said. 'The only place that he would've been in dirty water is in my back garden, because those puddles were lying there since last November.'
The family are heartbroken and are calling on the housing association to take responsibility for the lack of action that they say led to Chase's death.
