Poison bait alerts in Switzerland

How the poison bait radar works

Five steps – from the one-off setup to your own report. This is what the «Warnings» area looks like when you open DOGSY.

1. 1Set your alert radius onceIn the settings you save an alert address – your own or another area – and pick the radius: 1, 5, 10, 25, 50, 100 or 250 km. The starting value is 1 km.
2. 2Get the alertAs soon as someone reports a find inside your radius, the warning shows up in your bell – and as a push notification if you allowed those.
3. 3Check the mapIn the «Warnings» area the open reports sit as pins on the map, with the kind of find, the description and the time. For privacy the map only shows the rough area (about 100 m), never an exact address.
4. 4Report a find yourselfThe place from your current location or typed in, then pick what you found: prepared bait, broken glass, toxic plant/chemical or other. Description and photo are optional. Your warning is visible to all Dogsyaner right away, and the DOGSY team reviews it on top.
5. 5Confirm and stand downAnyone who sees the same find confirms the warning – the number of confirmations sits next to it. Your own report you can stand down as soon as the spot has been cleared.

What it is good for day to day

• Before the morning walkA quick look at the map: if an open warning sits on your route, you take the other path today or keep your dog on a short lead.
• You find something yourselfThe guide takes you through it step by step: secure your dog, never touch the bait with bare hands, call the police on 117 – and report it afterwards, so the neighbourhood is warned.
• Away from home and on holidayFor another region you set a temporary zone for the trip. It expires on its own, and the zone around your home stays active the whole time.

The radar lives on reports from Dogsyaner – the more people join in, the tighter the net.

Found poison bait? Here's what to do

Don't leave it lying – secure the bait and act immediately, step by step.

1. 1Secure your dogPut your dog on a short lead and move it out of reach of the bait.
2. 2No skin contactNever touch the bait with bare hands – some poisons are absorbed through the skin. Use a poop bag as a glove.
3. 3Secure & photograph itBag it as evidence and take photos of the find and the exact spot for the authorities.
4. 4Alert the policeReport the find to the police – laying out poison bait is a crime.
5. 5Report it on DOGSYThis instantly warns all dog people nearby – and the warning appears here on the map.

Blue-green algae: danger from the water

Blue-green algae (cyanobacteria) can be fatal for dogs – a few gulps from an affected body of water can be enough, and there is no antidote. When an official body issues a blue-green algae warning via DOGSY, it instantly appears for all Dogsyaners nearby – in the app's pet emergency section, together with a recognition guide, protection tips and the emergency instructions.

No report does not mean safe – the cantons do not monitor every body of water.

Recognising blue-green algae

Cloudy water with discolouration (green, blue-green, brownish, reddish), often streaks, carpets or foam – especially near the shore and in calm weather. Or dark coatings and mats on stones and on the bottom (brown, black, dark green, dark red, often with air bubbles, smelling foul); dried out on the shore they turn grey-brown («toad skins»).

Easily confused with pollen: under a yellow layer of pollen the water stays clear – with blue-green algae it is cloudy.

You cannot tell by looking whether blue-green algae are toxic. So keep your dog away from any suspicious spot.

How to protect your dog from blue-green algae

• Don't let your dog drink cloudy or discoloured water – not even from puddles.
• Avoid shores with algae carpets, streaks or washed-up algae mats – the washed-up material is toxic too.
• Watch out for dark coatings: brown to black, slimy mats on stones or on the bottom can be highly toxic. Their foul smell even attracts dogs.
• Visibility test: stand knee-deep – if you can't see your feet, no swimming and no drinking.
• Leash on when the water is cloudy, algae are visible or warning signs are up.
• Bring clean drinking water for your dog.
• After every swim in still water, rinse the coat before your dog licks itself.
• Don't rely on yesterday: the situation can change within hours. Not every canton actively warns – no warning does not mean the water is safe.
• Main season is summer and autumn – it is possible all year round.