17/04/2026
A South West resident is urging dog owners to be vigilant of sea hares, after a spate of dogs picking up the toxic slugs off local beaches.
Sea hares are a type of sea slug that can be highly toxic to dogs who come into contact with them.
Gary Roberts said his family dog, Bonnie, was being walked along the beach at Augusta when she picked something up.
"Then she went just further on walking," he said.
"About an hour later and the dog just started trembling and spasming."
Mr Roberts said Bonnie was driven straight to the vet, who later confirmed her symptoms were due to the ingestion of sea hare toxin.
She was kept under sedation for 24 hours with saline drips but could not be saved.
"I don't want to see it happen to any other families," Mr Roberts said.
Sea hares can be found along WA’s coastline and are known to wash up on beaches during the warmer months.
