North Carolina Woman Loses Her Three Dogs to Toxic Algae

Melissa Martin and Denise Mintz lost their beloved dogs just hours after taking them for a swim in a local pond on Thursday night.

Abby, Izzy, and Harpo left behind their devastated owners after a brief dip in a Wilmington, North Carolina, pond. Within minutes of leaving the water, Abby began to seize. Shortly after they got her to an animal hospital, Izzy and Harpo had seizures as well.

By 12:08 AM on Friday, all three dogs had perished. Martin’s veterinarian identified the killer as a toxic blue-green algae that formed flower-like blossoms of cyanobacteria. Martin told CNN that she did not notice the algae at first, and that the pond was not marked with any warning of the deadly hazard.

Martin memorialized the dogs in a Facebook post, noting that Harpo — a therapy dog — was due to meet Robin Roberts and Ellen DeGeneres to talk about “how awesome he is.” The broken-hearted owners must now struggle to move on without their beloved friends.

Together, Martin and Mintz will helm a new initiative to ensure that no other canine companions suffer the same fate. They are pushing for all bodies of water at risk of this deadly algae have appropriate signage. “I will not stop until I make positive change,” Martin said. “I will not lose my dogs for nothing.”

Blue-green algae is shockingly deadly. It can be fatal to dogs within 15 minutes of contact, and there is no known treatment to save them. And while the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality posts an ongoing alert to danger areas, residents are advised to avoid unmarked water.

“Abby and Izzy had the most fun tonight chasing the ball and each other and rolling in the mud. What started out as a fun night for them has ended in the biggest loss of our lives,” Martin said. “We need your prayers. Not sure we’re strong enough to get through this without them.”