Earlier this month, dog owners were urged to avoid Yorkshire beaches, as a mysterious illness swept across the local dog community causing serious illness.
Owners were urged to keep an eye on their dogs inland, too, as cases begin to rise in areas such as Sheffield, Hebden Bridge and York.
Now it seems that the mysterious illness is affecting seals as a Yorkshire seal group has spoken out on reports of dead seals along the coast.
Questions are being asked about what is going on along the coastline as dead crustaceans washed up on the North Yorkshire coast last year and the mysterious dog illness that was first thought to have started on Yorkshire beaches.
Speaking about the reports of dead seals washing up co-founders of the Yorkshire Seal Group, Matt Barnes and Niamh Byrne, said: “Our teams record deceased seals in Yorkshire between the Humber and the Tees either discovered by us or reported by members of the public.
“We have heard similar things but our numbers do not record anything out of the ordinary at present.
“So it’s likely either typical mortality rates that people are now more attuned to following the crustacean incident or it is being under-recorded by coastal visitors.
“Many deceased seals may make landfall at unpopulated areas or members of the public don’t know to report them or who to report them to so it’s only one crude tool among others to monitor population health.”
Reporting over 150 cases locally of dogs falling ill after a stroll on the beach over the past three weeks, Yorkshire Coast Pet Care issued an urgent warning on Facebook just last week, advising dog owners to avoid “the beach for the foreseeable future”.
The sickness includes symptoms such as sickness and diarrhoea, with no known cause upon veterinary testing. Find out more about the mysterious dog illness via the link below.
Read More: Dog Owners Urged To Avoid Yorkshire Beaches As Mystery Illness Spreads
