Dog owners in one of Australia’s most exclusive suburbs are fearing for the welfare of their animals following a chicken shop’s “slightly bonkers” attempt to control pests.
A Sydney man who asked not to be named told Yahoo News he rushed his dogs to the vet and had their stomachs pumped at the cost of over $850. He became concerned after a staff member at the Chargrill Charlie’s Rose Bay store warned him not to let his animals eat the chips sprinkled around the perimeter because they could be “poisoned”.
“There were enough chips to fill their guts… the chips were around the perimeter, along the lines of 40 feet worth of chips. They were in little batches,” he said.
The man’s concerns escalated after he spotted an immobilised pigeon sitting on the pavement outside the store. “That was the icing on the cake. I started to think what the hell is going on here? This is insane,” he said.
Chips were photographed sprinkled around the perimeter of the Rose Bay Chargrill Charlie’s store. Source: Supplied
The incident is understood to have occurred on Tuesday last week and involved a professional pest controller. When Yahoo called the Rose Bay store on Thursday, a staff member who asked not to be identified because they did not have permission to speak on the matter said the pest control “won’t be affecting the dogs, just the birds”.
“The pest control is just the birds, the chemical won’t be that strong,” they said
A pest controller later took to a community social media page, claiming responsibility for the operation. He said the chips were not poisoned and only used for “pre-baiting” pigeons. Yahoo has attempted to contact him on multiple occasions but he is yet to reply.
Responses to his post were furious, with one person saying, “This is not okay. If I find those chips there again I’ll be throwing them over the counter”. The post has since been removed.
Council directs store to prevent pests from entering
Yahoo was contacted by several local wildlife carers concerned the poisoning could harm native birds including seagulls. The Rose Bay Chargrill’s Charlie’s store is known to have a problem with pigeons and ibis entering the store to scavenge for scraps. In high numbers, pigeons can spread disease and in some cases need to be controlled.
Woollahra Council, where Rose Bay Chargrill Charlie’s is located, confirmed it had directed the restaurant to prevent pests from entering the store.
“Council received a complaint regarding bird activity at this premises,” it told Yahoo News in a statement.
“Following inspection by Council staff, the business was advised of its requirement to ensure it take all practicable measures to prevent pests entering the premises, and appropriate exclusion measures including screens and door seals be adopted. Council issued no direction regarding baiting or poisoning of birds.”
After spotting a sick pigeon near the store, the dog owner rushed his animals to the vet. Source: Supplied
Dog walker hopes to find out which poison was used
One local wildlife rescuer told Yahoo, “There are all of these seagulls, heaps of ibis. There’s a whole community of birds. It seems like a horrible way to go about it”.
Several people also raised concerns powerful owls, peregrine falcons and osprey could be exposed to secondary poisoning if they consumed affected pigeons — a known prey species.
Unlike seagulls and ibis, non-native pigeons are considered a feral species and are not protected. Since the pest controller was called in, locals have reported fewer pigeons on the street around the store.
The dog walker who did not wish to be named has expressed ongoing concern about the lack of transparency about the pest mitigation program. He collected samples of the chips so they could undergo testing.
“The chips were strategically placed. The whole thing seemed slightly bonkers. I just want to know what poison was used and I couldn’t get a straight answer about much at all,” he said.
His dogs have been in good health and showed no signs of illness.
Chargrill Charlie’s responds to pest control incident
Chargrill Charlie’s is owned by Craveable Brands, along with Oporto and Red Rooster.
After Yahoo contacted Craveable Brands on Thursday to determine which poison was used, and what species of bird was being targeted, it directed questions to a PR company.
On Monday Yahoo was told by the PR firm it was not in a position to advise what poison was used, or what species of bird it was targeting. But in a statement, it claimed its number one priority was the “health and well-being of our customers and communities”.
“We can confirm that a licensed pest control expert has carried out work at the Rose Bay Chargrill Charlie’s restaurant,” it said in an email.
“We have been assured by the pest control company that their methods were fully compliant with current industry standards.”
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