SINGAPORE — On Sunday evening (Oct 8), an empty Kovan field which is usually popular with dog walkers was eerily quiet. The reason: Signs warning that two dogs are suspected to have died of poison ingested there.

One sign warned that early signs of poisoning include “hysterical barking, trembling and seizures”.

Speaking to TODAY as she walked her four-year-old dog next to the Parry Avenue field, Ms Nicole Toh, 24, an occupational therapist, said she has been extra vigilant.

“I heard about the dog poisoning cases from other dog owners, and was surprised. We come here so often, we didn’t think anything would happen,” she said, adding she had not noticed anything suspicious.

“Now I’m very careful when I walk Nala (her dog) and make sure she doesn’t ingest anything suspicious.”

One dog owner who lives in the area — who declined to be named for privacy reasons — has been avoiding walking his dog along Parry Avenue.

“They said it was poisoning, and you don’t know where exactly. Better to be safe,” said the dog owner who has lived in the area for more than 10 years.

“You don’t want to take risks. Our pets are family members.”

Social media posts over one of the deaths, a dog named Palo, were also widely shared after its owner warned others of the alleged poisoning.

The owner said in an Instagram story on Saturday that the family had visited the field that morning with their dog, warning several dog owners to avoid the field.