Locals fear someone is deliberately poisoning pieces of meat to target dogs in the area, almost killing one beloved pet.
Suspected baits have been found in several areas along Pearl Beach, this week, with another 12 being found today as a group of 25 residents banded together to find the poisoned treats.
One dog, a cavoodle named Minnie almost died afer she was spotted eating one of the chunks of meat.
The vet bill cost the family $5000, but the dog is now recovering well at home and an online fundraiser has raised more than $1000.
“We walk our dogs here most days and now everybody is too concerned to come down to the beach,” Nigel Tisdal from Pearl Beach Progress Association said.
“What the person has done is put those blue granules inside some sort of meat which obviously makes it very attractive to the dogs”.
The baits, which locals believe are targeting dogs, are made from rat poison wrapped in food or meat and have been left on the surrounding grass area of Pearl Beach.
Brick-shaped rat baits have also been scattered on the beach.