A Scappoose woman is sounding alarm bells after her nearly 3-year-old Border Collie Jax died soon after ingesting water off the north point of Sand Island, which is located directly across from St. Helens.
Tanya Bachman said her dog died following a boat trip to the island Sunday, Aug. 4. According to the Oregon Health Authority, it’s believed that the dog’s death was a result of cyanobacteria, a harmful algae.
Also called blue-green algae, cyanobacteria thrive in nutrient-rich water, like that off of Sand Island. Pets can be particularly susceptible to the harmful algal blooms due to their small size and likelihood of ingesting contaminated water, according to the Columbia Riverkeepers.
'He was dead within the hour'
It was swiftly that the fun day at the water turned deadly for the Bachman family.
“We went out with our little boat, we took the dogs out to Sand Island to play for the day,” Bachman said. “We’ve been out there I don’t even know how many times. We’ve walked the perimeter of the island. They’ve been in the water all day. It has always been fine.”
But, different than all those other times, events took a tragic turn on Aug. 4.
“We went out, we were on the north docks,” she said. “We went out to the north point and the water was very low. There was not a lot of movement and it was very warm.”
The dogs were brought back to the boat to rest, but soon returned to the watery area.
“I followed them and within about 10 minutes, I noticed the younger dog’s tail was down,” she said. “We started walking back towards that north dock and he pooped in the water, which he never does. He went to the sand and he had diarrhea. He took a about 10 more steps and he threw up all over.”
Shortly after, Bachman believes that Jax went into shock.
“My husband got off the boat, carried him, and we got him to the boat,” she said. “He had a seizure and went unconscious … he was dead within an hour.”
Where did it come from?
Jonathan Modie, lead communications officer with the Oregon Health Authority, said, “We have reason to suspect that cyanotoxins were at least a contributing factor in the dog’s death … We believe the source of the bloom may be from lakes in an area near Sauvie Island on both the Oregon and Washington sides of the Columbia River.”
Modie says water samples will be collected in the area to confirm OHA's suspicions, but a firm date has not been announced.
Midway Veterinary Hospital in Warren, as a result of the concern by community members of the algal bloom and its threat to pets, shared the harmful algae can be toxic to animals and humans. Symptoms in dogs — like weakness, staggering, convulsions, difficulty breathing and sudden death — can appear within 15 to 20 minutes.
Bachman’s dog was taken to the Midway Veterinary Hospital, but because emergency services weren’t set up, the Bachman’s were sent to a Tanasbourne Veterinary Emergency hospital in Washington County.
“Between Midway and getting to Cornelius Pass, his breathing stopped and his heartrate stopped,” she said.
What happens now?
The OHA’s Environmental Public Health staff plan to meet with their counterparts, including the Department of Environmental Quality, the Washington Department of Health, the Washington Department of Ecology and the Environmental Protection Agency. The plan is to share information and coordinate on follow-up assessment.
And in the meantime, Bachman wants to get the word out to dog owners in Columbia County.
“With our hotter summers, I just think when the weather gets warm, keep your dogs in the back yard — shaded, of course,” Bachman said. “I can tell you the water was so warm, it was like bathwater.”
Dog safety posters have reportedly been placed at the boat docks at Sand Island.
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